


Nine Seeds

by kenkai_san



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Major OCs, Multi, major OC pairings, way too many characters to list
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-01
Updated: 2012-07-11
Packaged: 2017-10-25 15:05:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 122,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/271636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenkai_san/pseuds/kenkai_san
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ultimecia's death might have saved the world, but it had repercussions beyond what her defeaters expected. When a vigilante mage reattempts what Ultimecia failed to do, the heroes find themselves thrust into a conflict that expands into the generation after theirs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The approaching menace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange dreams and a surprise visitor leads to the beginning of the conflict that is fated to begin.

The first thing Rinoa heard was screaming: piercing, panic-stricken hollers and yells that shot down her spine and curled her insides. She was running through the fog, yelling out for the sources of those screams. She didn’t know whose they were, but she knew they were in trouble, and something deep inside tugged at her to help them.

 It was like this every night, and both in consciousness and in sleep, Rinoa didn’t understand _what_ that something was. But there was no time to question it.

Her boots smacked against the dirt path, the fog and the landscape passing by her in a rush. It looked like the Centran landscape, with its orange-brown cliffs piercing high in the sky around her. She paid little mind to the scenery.

 _Where are they?_ her mind screamed. _Where are who?_ that small part of her conscious asked, the part that was rooted in reality.

On the horizon, a blanket of darkness emerged, so overpowering and overwhelming that it made Rinoa’s legs quake from the pressure. It stretched out across the night sky, enveloping everything in the vicinity. Rinoa pressed on, a powerful instinct leading her in some direction.

Suddenly, a group of people huddled together appeared, standing on shaky legs before the darkness. Rinoa called out to them. One of the faces turned and yelled something to her, but she couldn’t quite hear. Another one reached out a hand towards her, and she reached back, trying to fight through the darkness and its overbearing weight to get to them.

The darkness suddenly shuddered and then converted into a shape, just beyond where the group was. It was in the form of a human, a man from what Rinoa could tell, wearing a heavy cloak. She couldn’t see his face, but the fear that gripped her was terrifying. She hadn’t felt that way since the confrontation with Ultimecia nearly two years earlier.

Despite the fear that threatened to paralyze her, she sprinted past the group ( _Why didn’t I look at their faces? Who are they?_ ) and stood in front of them, arms outstretched. “Don’t you dare!” she screamed at the man.

He took a step towards her. His hand extended, and a ball of magical energy formed in the palm. “You cannot save them from their fate, the destiny that you had a hand in creating. Besides, it’s time you returned your powers.”

“Returning” a sorceress’ power could only mean one thing for Rinoa. Terror nearly made her immobile, but she was determined not to let him harm the ones behind her.

Footsteps resounded behind her, and then a figure ran past. She saw a glimmer of something, a pendant she knew too well. Her heart lurched, and as the magic fired, the figure braced itself in a defensive stance. Suddenly, she went from being the protector to the protected.

Worried shouts came from behind her, and Rinoa screamed a name that didn’t reach her ears before everything around her shattered.

~*~

“Rinoa!” Squall’s arms came around her, and he shook her lightly, trying to get her to wake up.

She thrashed and flailed, fighting against his hold, mistaking him for the dark man. “Get away from them!” she screamed, still half-asleep and in the world of her dream.

His strong hands kept her arms pinned to her side so she couldn’t harm either of them with a stray fist. “Rin! It’s me, Squall. Wake up!”

His voice finally broke through, and she woke with a jolt. Her eyes cleared and met his cobalt blue. “S-Squall?”

He sighed in relief, and held her closer to him. “You had another nightmare.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah.” She leaned her head against his chest, grateful that her knight was there for her during these recurring nightmares. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

He shook his head, dismissing her apology as he threaded his fingers through her hair. “Was it about the same thing?”

She nodded, her cheek rubbing against his skin as she clutched his Griever pendant. “Yeah. A little more happened this time.”

He nudged her forehead with his nose. “Wanna tell me?”

“Tomorrow. With the others. I just wanna get some sleep now.” The only good thing about these nightmares was that they only happened once a day. She never fell back into them after the initial dream. She had begun purposely taking naps in the middle of the day, just so the dream was over with and she could actually get some sleep at night. But she hadn’t gotten the chance to nap earlier, so as brutal as the nightmare was, it came as no surprise to her.

Squall didn’t say another word, but he didn’t need to. His arms around her, his beating heart, and just his presence were enough for her. She fingered his pendant, and something inside twisted as she remembered the figure who wore the same one. She was sure it wasn’t Squall, though. It didn’t look like him, not exactly. The figure she had seen was a little skinnier than he was, and his hair was darker.

The question of who it was bounced around in her head, and Rinoa was sure that the query would keep her up all night. She shifted restlessly several times, but eventually, exhaustion won over her worry and she fell back into slumber.

~*~

All the signs of a nightmare were always open for everyone to see in the morning. Rinoa detested that fact. Even so, knowing her friends, they would know something was wrong, even if she _was_ able to hide it.

The six of them sat together in the cafeteria the following morning. The slight bags under her eyes and her atypical silence spoke volumes. She poked at her eggs, but her mind was elsewhere. It was focused on the boy that ran to defend her, and the group of people behind her, scared but stoic in front of that dark man.

 _Who were they, damn it?_

“How bad was this nightmare?” Quistis asked, snapping Rinoa out of her thoughts.

Rinoa twitched, nearly knocking her tray over onto the floor. Squall placed a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. Despite his aloofness and his wariness of public displays of affection, he had been less reluctant to display them recently. Rinoa mused for a moment just how far he had come along in the past two years. He supported her seamlessly and took his role without falter, whereas once he would have been like a deer trapped in headlights, wondering what he should do and how.

When her rumination passed, she met Quistis’ stare and thought over her question. “Bad, as usual. But more happened.”

Selphie perked her head up, and her mouth formed a little “o.”  She left her fork sticking out in the middle of her omelet and asked, “Really? What happened?”

Rinoa described the dream she had, from the screaming to the group of people to the dark man, and then, of course, the boy who threw himself in front of her, wearing the Griever pendant.

“Griever?” Quistis looked to Squall, the only known wearer of the lion’s visage. “Are you sure, Rinoa?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. It was the only distinct thing I saw.”

The entire table fell silent, at a loss as to what to say. Squall looked pensive, and Rinoa saw him unconsciously poke his own chain at one point. Selphie and Irvine were looking at each other, trying to come up with the answer together without saying a word. Zell eyed his breakfast warily, for once his appetite seemingly diminished. Quistis had her arms crossed, and she wore the same look she had whenever she was checking over her students’ work.

“Weird,” Zell finally concluded, taking a bite out of his bacon. “Definitely weird. And this has been going on for, what, two weeks now?”

“The timing is odd,” Quistis murmured. “If I remember correctly, your first nightmare was about two days after Seifer came here.”

Seifer had returned to Garden a little over two weeks ago. It wasn’t a permanent return, as he stressed, but the fact was that after two years of little contact, no one had expected him to ever set foot inside Balamb Garden again. His following actions had been just as odd: he had asked to see the Headmaster immediately, and then they talked in his office for over two hours. Although Squall was still Commander, he hadn’t been informed of what the meeting had entailed.

That particular aspect was bothering the Squall. “I noticed it, too. I can’t blame the dreams on Seifer; it’d be ridiculous. Still, I want to know why he came back. He’s still hanging around Balamb.”

Selphie nodded. “You know, I saw him by the train station in town the other day.” She set her fork down again as she continued, “And the strangest thing happened: he actually went up and talked to me. I didn’t _mind_ or anything. I couldn’t get much out of him about what he was doing, but he did ask if we were all okay.”

“Did you tell him about Rinoa?” Irvine asked.

“No, actually. I didn’t think of it at the time.” She glanced around the table at everyone, but her eyes then remained fixed on Squall. “Do you think we should tell him?”

“What the hell?” Zell slammed his fist into the table. The impact shook the table and nearly knocked over some plates and cups. “It’s Seifer! We don’t need to tell him squat! Hell, I’m pissed Squall hasn’t been told about what’s going on. Why hasn’t the Headmaster said anything?”

Quistis waved her hand, motioning for Zell to calm down. “Look, we may be overreacting. The business Seifer has with Headmaster Cid may be personal, although with his behavior and Rinoa’s dreams, it does seem a little unlikely now,” she added with a frown.

Rinoa glanced over at Squall and gently rubbed his arm. “You look determined.”

He looked down at her and gave her a half smile. “I am. I’m going to have a word with Cid later. I’ll tell him about what’s been going on with you. Maybe he’ll be more willing to talk then.”

“Go for it, man,” Zell encouraged with a pumped fist.

Irvine nodded, and tipped his hat. “Wish you luck. Cid’s been pretty tight-lipped about this.”

Squall shook his head. “I don’t care. If it’s about Rinoa, I’ll get it out of him.”

“Gonna use the ‘I’m a knight and therefore have a right to know about anything pertaining to my sorceress’ card?” Selphie whispered.

Squall met Rinoa’s gaze for a brief moment. He squeezed her hand, and said, “Whatever works.”

~*~

The elevator chimed, and the doors opened. Squall stepped out, and walked down the short hallway to the Headmaster’s office. His door was cracked open, signaling he was in. Squall knocked lightly before stepping inside.

Cid looked up from his desk and smiled. “Squall, my boy! Come in. I was just looking over the upcoming quarter’s budget. _Fascinating_ material.” He pushed his glasses back a little. “Really, I’d rather be watching a Blobra mating ritual than this.”

Squall stood to attention in front of his desk. “Sir, although I’ve never had the opportunity to watch Blobras mate, I understand.”

Cid snorted out a laugh. “There’s that dry humor Rinoa keeps insisting you have. How is she, anyway?”

Squall hesitated, and despite his effort, he let uncertainty pass through his eyes for a moment.

Cid set the pile of papers down on his desk. “What is it?” he asked. “Did something happen?”

“No,” Squall interrupted. He took a deep breath, and then pressed on before Cid could interrupt. “Rinoa’s been having recurring nightmares since Seifer came back.” He gave the Headmaster a hard look. “I wouldn’t call that a coincidence, especially considering that Seifer’s been asking Selphie about all of us, he’s been hanging around Balamb for no apparent reason, and so far I’ve been given no explanation.”

Cid sighed, and pushed the papers to the side. “Squall-”

“Tell him.”

Squall and Cid looked towards the door, where Seifer was standing. The former rebel leaned against the threshold with his arms loosely crossed. “If Rinoa’s affected, then he needs to know.”

“Seifer.” Squall didn’t know what else to say. He hadn’t seen his rival since the Ultimecia War had ended and Seifer had taken off for parts unknown. What _did_ one say in such a situation anyway?

Cid leaned back in his chair. “Squall, you need to understand. The reason I haven’t told you anything yet is because there isn’t much to tell.”

Squall narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Seifer rolled his eyes. “Exactly like he said. We don’t know much.”

“Know much about _what_?” Squall said through gritted teeth.

Cid and Seifer exchanged glances before the older man began, “Nearly three weeks ago, Seifer was approached by an unknown man wearing a cloak. He asked for Seifer’s help. He also mentioned something about looking for a particular sorceress, is that right?”

Seifer shrugged. “Yeah. I told him to fuck off, and the next thing I know, I was sent straight through a wall.” He rolled his right shoulder like he was trying to flex out some soreness. “For a guy, he had a lot of magic power.”

Squall frowned in concern. “Where is he?”

“Hell if I know.” Seifer lifted up his hand, which was wrapped in bandages from the wrist down. “After I got treated for my injuries, I came here.”

“Why?”

“Instinct. He said something about looking for a sorceress. Rinoa was the first one I thought of.”

Seifer’s words and his concern surprised Squall, but he didn’t show it. He merely nodded in thanks. “And nothing more has been learned?”

“No,” Cid said, pushing back his glasses as he sighed, “nothing. It’s hard, since we know so little. Has Rinoa been seeing this man in her dreams at all?”

“Yeah. She couldn’t make out a lot of features, but he was wearing a cloak, too. This man,” Squall turned to Seifer again, “he didn’t say anything about also looking for a group of people, did he?”

Seifer shook his head. “There are others involved?”

“She didn’t see the man in her dream until last night. All the nightmares before involved a heavy atmosphere of darkness and a group of people.” The cloaked man, the group… they all had to be connected. Squall was sure of it. “She said she was pretty sure they were young, maybe our age or a little younger.”

Seifer furrowed his brow. He leaned against the wall, his battered gray coat ruffling against it. “I don’t know,” he said.

Cid addressed Squall. “Did these people do anything? How did Rinoa react to them?”

“She wanted to protect them. She’s always running towards them, and they’re always screaming. She finds them standing in front of this darkness, like they’re facing it down…” Squall thought of the boy who rushed to protect her, the one who wore Griever around his neck. It was certainly frustrating not knowing who he was, but for reasons Squall couldn’t explain, he also felt concern.

“Squall?”

He looked back at the Headmaster, who seemed perturbed when he trailed off. Squall shifted on his feet and hesitantly added, “Normally, they just huddle together. But when the man appeared in this dream, Rinoa was trying to shield them from him. One of them ran up when he was about to attack her. He was also wearing this.” Squall pulled at his pendant.

Seifer leaned over to see. “And it wasn’t you?”

“No. She said she was sure it wasn’t me.”

“Well,” Cid said after a moment of silence, “Ellone will be here in two days. I contacted your father-”

Squall grimaced at the term. Even after two years, he still had a hard time accepting the bumbling Laguna as his father.

He heard Seifer snicker at his grimace. He shot him a glare, but his rival merely smirked in return.

“-and told him the situation.” As a measure of precaution, Cid shot Seifer a warning look before continuing, “Ellone is going to try and send some people back to that moment, to see if there is anything we missed. It’s a shot in the dark, to be honest, but she wants to help, and she misses all of you.”

Squall smiled slightly. With the rough two weeks he’d been having, seeing Ellone would do some good. “It’s worth a try. I think the more people she can send back, the better. That’s all the more perspectives to see it from.”

“I agree,” Cid said. “So, I ask you to inform Rinoa and the others about this. Seifer,” His eyes glanced over to ex-knight. “I know you’ve been in contact with Fujin and Raijin. They will be of help, too. We can’t pull strangers into this, so it’ll be up to the nine of you.”

Squall nodded and saluted Cid. “Thank you, sir.”

All that left him was the small matter of explaining this to his friends.

~*~

The next two days passed by in a blur. Naturally, everyone was just as confused and worried about the mystery man and his encounter with Seifer, and naturally, everyone was excited about Ellone coming to Garden. It helped quell the tension that seemed to hang in the air every time they discussed either Seifer’s meeting with the man or Rinoa’s dreams.

Between Squall’s regular duties as a Commander, the broken nights of sleep, and worrying about the new situation, he felt he barely had time to breathe, let alone think much.

To make matters worse, Seifer was also filling his thoughts. As much as he didn’t want to, Squall had to indulge those thoughts. It was hard to ignore a rival of nearly a dozen years, after all.

Squall had had a feeling they would meet again at some point, but he was expecting Seifer to be his same old self: the cocky, self-confident, unconcerned, slightly immature and headstrong man who would make plenty of snide remarks to him and try to spur him into a fight.

Yet, the man he was faced with in Cid’s office was very different. He still appeared self-confident, and he certainly got his kicks in at Squall’s expense, but his motivations and demeanor had changed. He was the one who wanted to tell Squall about the mystery man. And there was a level of respect that had not been there. Maybe if he had been asking Cid about the matter as Garden’s Commander, Seifer would have made some retort. The deference seemed to be aimed at his position as a knight. Seifer’s exact reasoning behind it was unknown to Squall, but he certainly had noticed it.

It was brought up at breakfast on the day of Ellone’s arrival. Out of curiosity, Quistis had asked Squall how Seifer was.

“Different,” Squall answered.

Rinoa clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling giggles as Zell, Irvine, and Quistis gave him deadpan looks.

“Description, Squall!” Selphie demanded with a pointed finger aimed at his chest. “You can’t just say he’s changed and not say how!”

Squall scratched his head with one finger, his mouth downturned in thought. “He’s more… calm. More laidback. He actually told Cid to tell me about what happened. He…”

“Actually gave a damn?” Zell suggested after Squall faltered.

“Yeah. He’s always been passionate, but this is different. There were plenty of opportunities for him to get under my skin. But he didn’t.”

Rinoa looked pensive. “A lot has happened in two years. There’s no telling where he has been or seen. And that’s a lot of time to think over the past,” she said, her tone becoming quieter as she progressed. “I just hope he’s been taking care of himself.”

“Yo!” From the other side of the cafeteria, Raijin was calling out to them, Fujin trailing behind him. “Hey, guys. She’s here.”

“Awesome!” Zell leapt out of his chair and pumped his fists. “We haven’t seen Sis in months. This’ll be great.”

Irvine chuckled as he stood up as well. “You do know this isn’t some social call, right?”

“Pfft. Well, yeah, but this should be pretty easy, right?”

“Come on,” Squall said. “Let’s go before Zell overexcites himself or something.”

Rinoa giggled when Zell glowered at Squall, and she took her boyfriend’s hand in hers. “You’re excited, too. Admit it.”

“Whatever.”

~*~

They gathered in the Headmaster’s office. Ellone was sitting in one of the chairs, chatting away happily with Cid, Seifer and Edea. She turned her head when the door opened and beamed. “Everyone!”

There were plenty of waves and “hellos” exchanged, depending upon the excitability of the person. Ellone got up and greeted each one of them. She gave Squall a secretive smile, and patted him on the cheek. “How are you?”

He nodded. “All right. How are you and Laguna?”

“Oh, well, all right.” She saddened a little, perhaps because of his consistent habit of calling Laguna by his first name. “It’s been pretty quiet in Esthar lately.” She glanced over at Rinoa, and smiled again. “How are you?”

“I – I’m good!” Rinoa said quickly.

“You don’t need to be so nervous in front of me. I can never have enough little sisters.” She ruffled Rinoa’s hair. “After how well you’ve taken care of Squall, I could never think any less of you.”

“God knows he needs it.” Seifer grinned that same cocky smile Squall had once known so well. The Commander almost found it nostalgic, or would have if it wasn’t so irritating.

Quistis raised a brow, but there were hints of a smile. “Ah, there’s the Seifer we know. Welcome back.”

Zell scratched his head. “Two weeks later. Nice to show your face.”

“Chicken-wuss.” Seifer sighed dramatically, although the smirk never left his eyes. “Wish I could say the same. Still swatting flies?”

Zell immediately went on the defensive, bunching his fists and glaring at him. Quistis slapped her forehead, and Selphie huffed.

“Seifer,” Edea said gently but firmly, “Zell, enough. We’re here because of a serious situation.”

Both immediately backed down. No one, not even Seifer, dared to disobey her.

Cid stood up, and nodded to all of them. “Now that we’re all here, we can begin. All of us, I believe, have been briefed on the situation. The six of you,” He motioned to Squall and his friends, “have been sent back via Ellone’s powers before. I know the rest of you haven’t. Simply, what will happen is Ellone will take your consciousness and bring it to a point in the past. You’ll essentially be a neutral third party in witnessing the event. It’s a bit of a strange experience, from what I’ve been told, but you’ll be fine.”

Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin nodded. “Fine,” Seifer said. “Let’s just do this.”

Edea placed a hand on Ellone’s shoulder. “Are you sure you can do this? Send nine at once?”

“We’ll all be okay.” She motioned to the nine she was sending back. “You might want to spread out a little. I wouldn’t want anyone to knock their heads together when they fall unconscious.”

Fujin and Raijin exchanged skeptical glances. Seifer backed up and sat down against a wall. The others also sat on the ground, making sure to keep distance between them and their neighbors.

“You’ll be hearing a ringing sound, and feel tired.” Ellone clasped her hands together. “Everyone ready?”

They nodded, and Ellone concentrated. Nothing happened for a moment, and then nine sets of eyes began to droop. One by one, they fell unconscious as they collapsed on the floor, and the whole room went silent.

~*~

A fist clenched behind the long sleeve of a dark cloak. He stepped onto the platform, glancing at the device below him before looking up at the sky. _I finally made it back far enough. Now I can try it._ He let his consciousness spread out and felt Ellone use her power. He had taught himself how to break into her powers through the help of Junction Machine Ellone, and it was for this exact situation that he had practiced and trained for _. This is the perfect chance._

Despite some scares, mainly that dratted sorceress being able to glimpse into his plans, he almost had success in his hands. All he had to do was hijack into Ellone’s power, steal the connection to those minds he so avidly hated, and then perform the spell. He had tried to bring Seifer into his ranks, since he had helped _her_ once upon a time, but the former “knight” ( _I can’t believe she gave him that title. How could she do that to – hell, what am I thinking? Now’s not the time for this._ ) had refused to help. _His loss,_ the cloaked man mused.

He smiled in triumph as he pushed his consciousness through into Ellone’s powers. _Let the chains of time break free._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who have a fear of multi-chaptered fics not being completed, fear not. This whole thing is already written out, so there'll be no getting midway into the story and then no update for months (unless something happens to me, but I hope not...). This is a story I started for NaNoWriMo back in '09, and I just finished it a few weeks ago. Today is the two year mark, actually, so it's a fitting date for posting this :)


	2. Going the wrong way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their aim was to visit the past...but that's not quite where they wound up.

_“Whoa.”_ Seifer’s mental voice echoed in the black void. _“Cid wasn’t kidding.”_

 _“Is everyone here?”_ Ellone asked.

 _“Yes.”_ Even Squall’s mental voice was monotone.

 _“Yeah! All here!”_ And even Selphie’s mental voice was still excited and cheerful.

 _“Yo.”_

 _“We’re here, Sis,”_ Quistis answered calmly.

 _“I’m pretty sure I can hear everyone.”_ Rinoa then giggled before she added, “ _It’s like being in an empty room with no windows or lights._ ”

 _“This is sooo weird, ya know?”_

 _“Nice answer, Raijin.”_

 _“Hey, shut up, Irvine.”_

 _“PRESENT.”_

 _“Okay,”_ Ellone laughed a little. _“This will take a second. I have to go through Seifer’s memory and find the one memory we’ll looking for.”_

 _“Should I think of it?”_

 _“Yes, that would help. Think of the time and date, and the exact memory.”_

Everyone fell silent for a little while as Ellone searched through Seifer’s mind. Then, _“Okay. Let’s give this a try. I’ll-”_

 _“…Sis?”_ Squall’s voice hesitantly called out when her voice was cut off.

Ellone let out a startled gasp. _“Guys, I need to disconnect. Something’s wrong. I think someone’s trying to-”_

There was the sound of loud static. Yells came from everyone as they all tried to get a sense of what was going on.

 _“Everyone! Can you hear me? Something’s gone wrong!”_  Ellone’s voice began to fade, even as she called out for them louder and louder. “ _Squall! Seifer! Rinoa! Quis-”_ Suddenly, her voice disappeared completely.

 _“Sis!”_ Squall cursed out loud when there was no reply. _“What’s going on?”_

Suddenly, there was a flash of bright white and noise erupted from everywhere. Squall felt like his head was being jumbled around inside a dryer. He screamed for Rinoa, hoping she was all right, but even his mental voice seemed drowned out in the noisy chaos. Then, in an instant, everything was silent.

Somehow, he began to feel like he was falling.

~*~

Ellone shook her head as her consciousness returned to her body. “Oh, no!”

“What happened?” Cid asked, glancing between her and the still unconscious young adults on the floor.

“Someone hijacked into my powers. They got a hold of Squall and the others. I’m going to attempt to go back in and get them out.” She gripped her hands together and started to activate her powers.

The bodies left behind suddenly shimmered. Edea reached out towards Zell, the one nearest her, but before her hand could make it, he disappeared, along with the others. Her eyes widened as Ellone gasped. “The children…”

~*~

They were in freefall. Seifer flailed his arms as his mind went back into his body. _How the hell am I falling? I’m not_ supposed _to be falling!_

He looked around, and saw that the others were falling with him. Skies and objects zoomed by them as they continued to drop. It felt like they were in a tunnel, and everything was rushing past them. Seifer tried calling out to them, but his voice couldn’t carry through the tumult.

Seifer fought through the sharp wind, making his way towards Fujin and Raijin. When he got close, he looked down. Before, there was just a swirling mass of color and air. However, now he could see a pinprick of light growing bigger by the second.

The light shot out and enveloped them. Seifer shut his eyes.

He dared to open them a moment later and found himself hurtling towards the earth. _Oh fuck._

Everything around him looked distorted. As they fell, he could see their movements, like they were all going in slow motion and they were seeing it, frame for frame.

Then, everything shook, and they were back in the tunnel. His body was jerked upwards, and he flew towards Fujin and Raijin. He saw Quistis reach for them from the corner of his eye, and that was when he realized they were moving away from the others. He cursed, and reached back, but to no avail. He, Raijin, and Fujin were blown away from the others. They went into a sub-tunnel, and another flash of light filled the area.

 _Not again,_ Seifer thought as they descended towards the ground again. This time, however, the land looked normal. But it was the last thing on Seifer’s mind. They were in a collision course with-

 _The orphanage?_ His stomach squeezed. _Matron’s gonna kill us if we don’t die from the impact first._ Seifer braced himself for the impact when his body started slowing down. He kept falling, but his velocity was decreasing until he was practically hovering a few feet above the roof. He blinked. “The-”

Whatever power or magic was holding them gave out, and he heard Raijin holler before they went through the roof. His last conscious thought was him registering his head smacking into a bedpost.

~*~

“Seifer!” Quistis yelled for him, but it was useless. They were pulled apart. The same thing that happened to Seifer was happening to them. They were shot out of the strange tunnel like a cannonball. They hurtled into the air, arching before they made their way to the hard earth below.

Their landing point was far north of Seifer’s. Looming below them was a stretch of grassy plains, and a small gray spot to the northeast. As they neared, it was apparent that gray spot was a stone gray spot, namely the Tomb of the Unknown King.

Surely they were going to die, Quistis thought. She winced, and readied for the worst.

Then she felt herself slowing down. When she opened her eyes again, she was a little ways above the Tomb, floating in mid-air. She looked around her, and saw the others wear similar expressions of surprise.

Their support vanished, and they crashed and tumbled into the Tomb. Quistis’s back slammed into some stone structure, and she cringed. She heard various other thuds and crashes, and she could only imagine how the others had landed.

She pushed herself off of whatever she landed on, and rolled onto the floor. Her hands automatically reached out and took the brunt of the fall. They scraped along the rock floor, and left in their trail a few specks of blood.

“Quistis!”

She looked up, and saw Zell run over to her. “Zell, are you okay?”

He helped her to her feet, and she brushed the residue off of her clothes. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he answered.

“Hey, guys?” Selphie’s voice echoed down from one of the hallways.

Zell and Quistis immediately took off after her voice. They skirted around corners and peered down hallways, shouting for her. They finally found her with Irvine, standing in a side room.

“There you are!” Selphie bounced over to them. “So glad you’re okay! We haven’t seen Rinoa or Squall, though.”

Irvine motioned towards one of the halls. “I thought I heard something down that way earlier. Might as well look.”

Zell set off down the path, the others hot on his heels. They spent a half hour searching through the Tomb, shouting their missing comrades’ names and making sure to look in every nook and cranny for them.

Finally, Irvine said, “So much for that.” He panted as he wiped the sweat off his brow. “Why don’t we head outside and try to get our bearings?”

The idea made Quistis nervous. The last thing she wanted to do was to leave Squall and Rinoa in the Tomb, alone. But at the same time, they needed to get out of there before they got too lost. She remembered their first visit all too clearly and did not wish to repeat it. “Let’s try. Maybe we’ll see them along the way.”

No one liked the idea, either, but they went along with it. They traversed down the paths, making sure to stick in one direction, since that would inevitably lead them to the exit. They still saw no sign of the knight or sorceress along the way.

Quistis was worrying her bottom lip when she walked outside. The sunlight momentarily blinded her, and then she saw before her two people lounged out among the scattered rocks. “Squall?” She took a step closer. “Rinoa?”

Rinoa waved to her. “Quistis! There you guys are!”

“What do you mean, ‘there you are?’” Zell grumbled as he stalked out. “We were inside looking for you two!”

Upon hearing this, Rinoa spun around and poked a finger into Squall’s chest. “See? _See_? I told you they would be.” She faced the other direction before he could get a word in edgewise, and explained, “Tacticians expert here thought it would be best if we waited outside.”

Squall rubbed a hand over his face. “They were going to come out eventually. I was right.”

Rinoa turned back to glare at him as the others hurried down the steps towards them.

“What now?” Irvine asked.

“We need to find Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin. That’s priority. Then we need to figure out what happened and get back to Garden,” Squall said in what Rinoa liked to call his “Commander-tone.”

Quistis pursed her lips. “I think we should do that with caution. That tunnel we were in? Didn’t it remind any of you of what happened when we went into the Time Compressed world?”

Zell nodded. “You thought so, too?” He rubbed the back of his head. “Shit. But this world doesn’t look like that. The one we saw before did, but this one is normal.”

“This is really bad.” Selphie shifted from foot to foot. “I mean, in Time Compression, there was no one else but us and Ultimecia. There might be other people here and… well, yeah.”

Rinoa shook her head. “I agree, but we still have to find them. I just don’t know what we’re gonna do afterwards.”

“One step at a time,” Quistis advised. “Let’s get out of here and start looking. It’s a step, anyway.”

~*~

Waves of grass swayed back and forth from the continuous winds rolling over the ocean. Selphie skipped along the coastline. “What a warm breeze! I’d totally suggest a picnic, but we don’t have any food or blankets. And this isn’t too good of a time, huh?”

Irvine suddenly froze and clutched his back. “Guys, we don’t have our weapons, either.”

“I do!” Zell did a little boxing jig, swiping his fists at thin air. “Leave the monsters to me! Although… uh, does anyone have magic on them, at least?”

Rinoa waved her hand in volunteer. “I technically always do.”

“That’s right. You and I can be like the ultimate duo or… something.” Zell chuckled, and gave her the thumbs up.

Quistis tucked a long bang of blonde hair behind her ear. “Normally, I’d suggest going to a weapons shop and just purchasing them, but…”

“Our situation doesn’t call for it,” Squall filled in for her. “That, and I don’t think we have much Gil on us, either.”

Selphie pouted and plopped onto the grass like an angry child ready to throw a fit. “This stinks. In a super-duper majorly bad way. We can’t even go into Deling City to get something to eat.”

“Maybe we did get thrown back in our time,” Rinoa said hopefully. “I would think we’d have to check first, and then go from there. And Seifer’s still out there.”

“I hope he’s being cautious at the very least. He’s always liked charging into situations,” Quistis said, pinching the bridge of her nose at the thought. “I would imagine Fujin would have the presence of mind to think of what just happened. But then, they haven’t been through Time Compression before, so they wouldn’t know what it’s like.”

Silence fell over the group as they stared at each other uneasily. Then, Selphie piped up, “Oh! I have an idea.” She pulled out her cell phone, which she had kept in a buttoned pocket. “If we’re in our time, then this should work!”

Squall nodded. “Good idea. Give it a try.”

She punched a few buttons, and held the phone to her ear. All of them waited in suspense.

She suddenly jerked the phone from her ear, the dial tone blaring loudly. “Darn it. I know I have the right number for Garden!” She tried another number, but got the dial tone again. “It’s working fine, but it just won’t make the calls.”

“That’s seriously not cool.” Zell let his shoulders droop.

“We need to get moving. Staying in one spot won’t do.” Squall pointed south. “Let’s just look for Seifer and the others first. We need to avoid civilization for the time being, especially until we figure out _when_ we are.” He took Rinoa’s hand in his, and motioned for everyone to follow.

They started heading down the coast, their eyes peeled for signs of human life. The day passed by in a drag, filled with nothing but walking and short breaks for water and whatever food they could scavenge out in the wilderness. “It’s like survival camp, but for real,” Selphie whined at one point.

For the most part, they avoided enemies. However, Zell and Rinoa were forced into a few fights with stubborn Wendigos and Anacondaurs that refused to leave them be.

By dusk, they had approached vast expanses of forest, signaling they were in the Timber area. Irvine stumbled and nearly fell into a tree. He leaned his weight against it, and said, “I need a break, a long one. I don’t think I can take another step.”

The others collapsed and fell to the ground in a semi-circle around him. Rinoa settled into Squall’s side, and Selphie rested her head on Irvine’s shoulder.

“This is insane,” Zell said, his chest heaving in and out as he sprawled out on the ground. “Seifer and the others could’ve landed anywhere. Hell, maybe even smack dab in the middle of an ocean.”

“Please don’t say that,” Quistis said with a wince. “I’m hoping the worst that happened is that they landed in the middle of the Grandidi Forest.”

Irvine snorted. “Normally, I’d find that hilarious, but considering the three of them aren’t armed, that’s kind of disconcerting. Still,” He grinned mischievously. “the image of Seifer confronting a Malboro is slightly humorous.”

Rinoa rolled her eyes. “You’re terrible.”

“I know.”

Selphie, despite her exhaustion, whacked him on his thigh with an open palm. “Irvine Kinneas!”

“What? I admitted I was!” Irvine frowned down at her. “I was completely kidding.”

“Uh-huh. Ri-i-i-ight.”

“What the heck?” He threw his arms up in the air. “What more do you want from me?”

“Knock it off,” Squall growled.

All the while, Zell had been peering intently into the forest behind them. When Squall snapped at the bickering couple, he suddenly leapt up. “Guys. There’s someone, or something, in there.”

“Where? Who?” Selphie leaned her head up.

Quistis got onto her feet. “Something large. It looks like… a machine?”

The ground began to rumble. Everyone was up off the ground, and looking in all different directions. The whirring sound of machinery filled the air. The very air molecules seemed to vibrate under the intense approach of whatever was coming.

“We need to get outta here!” Zell yelled.

Rinoa twisted around, and her eyes widened. “Squall…” She tugged on his sleeve and pointed behind them. “Look.”

A large black and purple vehicle emerged from the trees. It was about the size of the cafeteria at Garden, and it was propelled by the same apparatus as Balamb and Galbadia Gardens. Another similar vehicle of the same colors broke out from the other side. Six smaller cars surged forward from the forest. They were a deep russet color with green stripes along their sides, resembling ATVs.

Down a ways from their location, over the open plains, was the largest vehicle of the group. It was at least three-fourths the size of Galbadia Garden. It had an array of purples, reds, black, and white painted intricately on it, with a strange symbol resembling a ‘C’ on the front.

The group of friends slowly back into one another. “What are we gonna do?” Rinoa whispered.

“I won’t let anything happen,” Squall said, keeping her behind his arm.

The vehicles all came to a halt, circling them. One of the smaller vehicles drove closer to the group before the door opened and a figure hopped out. To the group’s surprise, he was wearing a SeeD uniform.

Quistis squinted through the fading sunlight, and then gasped. “Wait!” She ran towards the person, stopping a few feet in front of them. “Nida?”

He squinted at them. “What the – Quistis?”

Zell almost ran up to him, relieved to see _someone_ he knew when he noticed something. “What the fuck? Nida, why do you look so old?” It was a good question. The Nida standing before her was much older than the one Zell and the rest knew. Though he still had those same eager eyes, his hair had spurted a few blotches of gray, and his face was more weathered, with what little traces of baby fat he once had long gone.

“Why are you so _young_?” Nida fired back, as equally shocked as Zell. “You guys had disappeared, and we were looking for you.”

“Well, you found us,” Quistis said, eyeing Nida warily, still trying to figure out what happened. “Nida, we think we were sucked into a Time Compression spell before we came here. Does that help at all?”

It seemed to have, as Nida’s eyes widened in realization. “Holy crap,” he murmured, “so you guys came from – okay, okay.” He took a deep breath. “This isn’t a big deal. We’ll figure this out. But it explains a few other things, to be sure.”

Squall narrowed his eyes. “What other things?”

Nida shook his head. “Sorry Squall, I’ll explain later. Right now, we need to get you guys out of here and out of sight. By the way, where are Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin?” Nida asked, glancing around expectantly. “They disappeared as well, so I figured they would be with you.”

“We were separated before we got dropped here,” Quistis said.

“Damn it. We have more searching to do, but I’ll explain more inside.” On cue, the largest transport hovered towards them and parked on the ground. “There’s food and drinks inside. I’m sure you guys must be famished. We’ve been searching for you for twelve hours.”

“Twelve hours…” Irvine shook his head as he walked towards the vehicle with the rest of the gang. “Was it that long?”

“I can believe it,” Rinoa muttered as Squall kept an arm around her for support.

Quistis gave Nida an uneasy glance. He smiled sympathetically. “I’m sorry, this must be a lot to take in. Trust me, I’ll try to tell you what I know. It’s been a crazy twenty-four hours for me as well.”

She nodded, and he led her to the waiting transport. They walked in on the loading platform before it lifted them up. Once they were inside, the vehicles started up and together, went west.

Nida ushered them further into the vehicle, which was quite spacious. The first room was undecorated and unadorned. He led them in deeper and pushed open a heavy metal door. There, a large table was spread out with several chairs and benches. Scattered around the room were doors to other rooms, various machines, and a few oddly dressed people. A small group of them were waiting inside at one of the tables.

One of them, a bulky, well-muscled man that looked to be in his early fifties, stepped forward. “There they –” He paused, likely surprised as Nida had been when he first saw them. “The fuck is-”

A few mouths dropped as Nida answered, “They came here after the failed Time Compression spell. I think that’s why the ones we are looking for disappeared.”

Squall raised an eyebrow. “Someone care to elaborate?”

“You’re in the wrong time,” the older man said, furrowing his bushy gray brow. “We don’t know too much right now, but as you can freaking see, someone tried imitating Ulti-what’s-her-name and launched a Time Compression spell or some crap. If you guys got caught in it, then it looks like it shot you here after it failed.”

“Great,” Squall said, their worst fears realized.

Nida scratched his head. “By the way, this is Radovan, the leader of this clan.”

“What clan?” Selphie asked.

“The one who owns these vehicles. We’re a wandering tribe leftover from the Centra.” Radovan motioned carelessly around him. “And no, you probably never heard of us, and we made sure it stayed that way for a long time.”

“I am so confused right now,” Rinoa said with a shake of her head.

Nida said, “I promise we’ll explain.” He smiled apologetically, scratching his arm nervously.

“Sit your asses down and we’ll get some food out. I’m not doing this without a beer, either.” Radovan yanked out a chair and sat down. He jerked a finger towards the table and they all immediately complied. He radiated the presence of a person one did not want to disobey.

“Nida.” Radovan glanced over at him with a mildly put off expression. “Got a call from Balamb Garden. With their disappearances,” He jerked his head towards Squall and the others, “they decided to send a few more SeeDs. Ones, according to them, who are best ‘adept at handling the situation’ or some shit.”

Nida froze, and his eyes widened. Radovan coughed intrusively, and his eyes darted towards the six rescuees. The SeeD immediately regained his composure and said with a cautious tone, “Are they?” He glanced away. “Why would they do that?”

“Beats me. Wasn’t my bright idea. We’re to pick ‘em up in Deling City.”

Nida nodded, his face hardening. “Orders are orders. Now,” He looked over at Squall and the others. “let’s eat, and then we can talk.”

~*~

Somewhere between Balamb and Deling City, a train rumbled and gently swayed from side to side as it made its way along the tracks. In the SeeD cabin sat three young SeeDs. They were not brimming with excitement for a new mission. They were not fighting to contain their glee in getting out of Garden and seeing the world. No, these three were solemn, and something was obviously bothering them.

In the middle, sitting on the over-stuffed white couch, was the only girl in the trio. She had light brown hair that angled out in a small curve at the base of her neck. A few strands of hair that served as bangs fell over wide brown eyes specked with green. She wore the standard SeeD uniform, with two handguns holstered on each side of her waist. Her hands were supporting her chin as she tilted her head to the side.

“Bianca.”

She turned to look at her companion on her left, who was lounged out on one of the beds. “Yeah, Kevan?”

He gave her a slow, lazy smile. “You’re pretty tense.”

“Aren’t we all?” she countered. “I can’t believe we were ordered to do this. What is Commander Nyvae thinking?”

The other SeeD that sat on Bianca’s right shifted in his seat and said, “It is a little late for questioning that. Then again, he didn’t give us much say in the matter. I understand a mission is a mission, but I think this would be an exception, considering the circumstances.”

Suddenly, Bianca’s cellphone rang. Frowning in confusion, she pulled it out of her coat and answered, “Hello?”

After a moment of listening, she pulled the speaker away from her mouth and whispered to her companions, “It’s Radovan.”

Both boys shifted to listen as Bianca continued to talk to Radovan. A smile had begun to form, but it suddenly disappeared as her face paled. “ _What?_ ” she said in disbelief. “But – how?”

Kevan’s brow furrowed in concern as Bianca said nothing, merely listening to what Radovan was saying. Then, with a nod, she hung up. “Oh my God.”

“What is it?” the other SeeD asked.

Bianca reiterated to them what Radovan told her on the phone. When she finished, both boys were staring at her in shock.

“So, the people they found are the younger versions of…”

“Yeah, Yasu,” Bianca said to the other SeeD, “the Time Compression spell launched them from the past and into this time.”

Suddenly Kevan reached over to the nightstand and picked up a portfolio. He opened it up and pulled out a few sheets of paper. “You know what, remember that one part about the orders we were confused about, where it said not to divulge any extra information to them when we found them?”

Yasu ruffled his own black hair, which hung loosely around and over his face. “Now that makes sense. But how did Commander Nyvae know…”

Bianca twirled some hair around her finger, pulling at it tightly. She was obviously quite stressed. “Something’s not right. How could Nyvae have known what would happen, or that the Time Compression would even fail? It’s like…”

Yasu’s eyes narrowed. “Our Commander isn’t being honest with us. But let’s play along, for now. Kevan,” He looked over at the silver-haired SeeD, “do our orders say anything about making contact with others outside the Clan or still in Garden?”

Kevan quickly looked over the papers detailing our orders. “No, they don’t.”

Yasu nodded, a small smile creeping into his features. “Good. Then I think it would be prudent if we keep an open line of communication with the others left in Garden. I know Alin has expressed some concern about the Commander as well.” He slanted a look at Bianca when he mentioned Alin, waiting for her reaction.

“Really?” Bianca said. “He didn’t say anything to me about it. But you know, Taw was complaining yesterday before shit hit the fan that when he was in Nyvae’s office, he got a phone call. After Nyvae hung up, he made Taw leave his office.” She let go of the lock of hair that she had been twirling around. “Pretty rude. Nyvae might be a tight-wad, but he’s usually a stickler for manners.”

Yasu chuckled. “Interesting. Taw didn’t speak to me about that. Then again, he never tells me anything anymore.” His expression had fallen, but he immediately shrugged it off. “It seems our siblings aren’t telling us things.”

Bianca rolled her eyes. “What else is new?”

There was a loud “ding-dong” over the intercom. The voice announced, “ _Next stop, Deling City. All passengers, please make sure to secure your luggage before departing the train._ ”

Kevan heaved out a sigh. “Almost there. Let’s get this party started.”

~*~

The food set out before the six unwilling time travelers was inhaled with ferocity, driven by extreme hunger and young appetites.

“So, we’re obviously in the future,” Rinoa said after taking a bite out of a chicken wrap, “right?”

Nida nodded. “Seems so.”

“Mmm, this is good.” Zell shoveled some steak into his mouth. “Now, if I just had a platter of Garden’s hot dogs, I’d be in heaven.” He suddenly froze as if a thought struck him. “Wait, Garden still makes those, right?”

Nida laughed as he picked at his food. “Yes. A lot has changed, but that hasn’t.”

“Speaking of,” Quistis gestured with her fork, “how far forward are we? What exactly happened?”

Nida set his utensils down, and deliberately smoothed out his napkin. “Well, actually, I’d like to ask you guys what happened first. What were you doing before this happened?”

They looked to Squall, who sighed and explained to Nida what happened, from the man who attacked Seifer to Ellone sending them back to the past. “Something happened when she was doing it, and I think she was disconnected. Then we got sent here.”

Radovan said, “Sounds like the same description of our guy.”

Nida nodded, his brow puckering. “Yes, it does. If so, then he may very well be the culprit.”

“Grea-a-a-at,” Zell said, slamming his head down on the table, “another freaking enemy who likes time travel or time crunching or time conquering or-”

“We get it, Zell,” Irvine cut him off. “So, you guys know nothing about this person, either?”

“No,” Nida said. “I’m afraid not. He’s good at being evasive. We don’t even know his name.”

Rinoa glanced down at her plate and shut her eyes. “Whoever he may be, he’s no one good.”

Selphie, who was sitting on Rinoa’s right, clutched her hand. “This has got to be doubly weird for you. Guy pops up in your nightmares all dark and evil, and now he’s real.”

“You were having dreams about him, right?” Nida asked. “Did he show up often?

Rinoa shook her head. “Actually, it wasn’t until one of the latest ones that I saw him. It was always just me and this group of people before, and some overhanging darkness which might have been him.”

Radovan suddenly tensed. It was easy to see him force his body to relax as he asked, “How many people were there?”

She shrugged. “Hard to say. I think about eight or nine. One of them was wearing a Griever pendant, too.”

Something akin to shock passed through Radovan’s eyes. Rinoa frowned, and when she glanced up at Squall, she saw he noticed it, too. He was staring the older man down, his eyes silently demanding an explanation.

Radovan quickly shook his head, ignoring Squall’s stare. “Huh. Weird. Anyway, Nida, why don’t you give them the rundown of what’s been happening?”

Nida all too eagerly sat up. “Sure. Seven days ago, at 1500 hours, there was a large magical disturbance detected near Trabia. An investigative team of six SeeDs went up to determine what caused it.” Nida’s voice faltered for a moment before he continued, “They weren’t heard from until yesterday, when a search team found them. Of the six SeeDs sent, only two survived.”

Zell slammed his fist into the table, while the others shared looks of anger and sorrow.

“It was a huge blow. The two that made it back reported that they found a man in a dark cloak. They went to approach him, and he attacked, killing the other four SeeDs. But that was only the beginning.”

Nida looked down at his hands, inspecting them as he rubbed his fingers together. “Naturally, Balamb Garden was informed of this. Commander Nyvae called a meeting of several SeeDs, both new and veteran, to begin discussing the situation. Among those present were Irvine and Selphie Kinneas and Quistis Trepe.”

Selphie gasped. “We do get married!” She nearly bounced out of her seat in excitement. Irvine’s mouth dropped, but quickly shut when Selphie elbowed him in the stomach.

“Wh – what about Squall and I?” Zell asked. “And Rinoa? She’s not a SeeD, but…”

Nida shook his head. “The two of you retired quite some time ago. However, you’re tied to what happened. During the meeting, another magical disturbance was picked up. From what we were told, it was of amazing proportions.” He glanced over at Radovan, and Squall determined it must have been him or his clan who had picked up the disturbance. They certainly seemed to have the technology and resources to do so.

“It was analyzed and determined to be a time-related spell.” Nida pinched the bridge of his nose. “It was pretty easy to guess it was Time Compression. While it was being tracked, it suddenly lost a lot of its intensity. It failed somehow. But then things got weird.”

He sighed, recalling the memory. “Just after the disturbance was picked up, Selphie, Irvine, and Quistis fell unconscious. And, uh, other sources tell us that the rest of you did as well, along with Seifer, Fujin and Raijin."

Squall’s eye began to twitch, and he had to resist the urge to smack it. _What is it with these people and leaving out details?_ he wondered. This was an emergency. There was no earthly reason for them to be skimping out on details. If they were back in his time, he’d have demanded Nida explain who these “sources” were. However, his hands were tied, so he was forced to sit and keep quiet in smoldering annoyance.

Nida continued, “Our first guess was that Ellone was behind this. For a minute or so, you guys were just unconscious. Then suddenly, your bodies disappeared.” Nida snapped his fingers. “Just like that.”

Squall slapped his forehead. “Great. We’re MIA in two different times.”

“That’s certainly a first,” Irvine said with a chuckle in his voice. “So, what happened next?”

“We got a call saying there was a sighting of six people falling from the sky and landing in Galbadia. I was ordered to go with Radovan and his clan and look. We expected them to be you guys from this time, not the past.”

For the first time, one of the other clan members that had been in the room with Radovan went to speak. His young face, still lined with traces of baby fat, had been staring down into some sort of black device. He suddenly looked up, his narrow green eyes narrowed even further as he said, “Hey. We’re almost at Deling.”

Radovan nodded. “Right. Oh, by the way, I guess we have to make introductions.” Radovan pointed to the youth who spoke. “That’s Dylan, my son.”

Dylan smiled, and ruffled his spiky brown hair. “Hey.”

“Across from him is my youngest boy, R.J. To his left, the one with the long-ass beard and who’s now glaring at me is my long-time friend, Ajax.”

Zell waved to everyone nervously. “Why do I get the feeling we technically know… knew… will know… each other?”

“Because we do,” Dylan answered with a grin. “Don’t worry about it, though. This’ll get settled quick.” He looked back towards his father. “Our ETA is about 5 minutes. Do you want me to bring them up here?”

Radovan nodded. “Yeah. Certainly can’t let _them,_ ” He pointed to Squall and company, “do it or anything.”

“I’ll go with Dylan.” Nida leaned back in his chair, his brow still furrowed. “I don’t agree with this assignment, but I suppose we’ll need all the help we can get.”

“We’re not that hard to handle,” Selphie said with a fake glare.

“It’s not even that. It’s about looking for Seifer, Fujin and Raijin, and figuring out how to send you guys back and get things right.” Nida paused, and then added in a thoughtful tone, “Some younger minds will be beneficial, I suppose.”

Squall raised an eyebrow. “Young? Are they rookies?”

“Not exactly,” Nida said.

“What makes them adept at handling this or whatever?” Zell asked.

Rinoa smiled and pointed out, “Maybe they know us. I bet that’s it. Right?” She looked at Nida.

Nida glanced over to Radovan, who shifted his gaze away. “Well, uh…”

“It’s their durability,” R.J quipped. He pushed his glasses back, and smiled. He looked quite young, especially with a round face and corkscrew red locks coming from all angles from his head. “We do know them. We’re friends, actually, and I can say they’re very resilient.”

Dylan muttered under his breath, “God knows they’ll need it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize about the rather considerable length of this chapter. The next one is going to be longer (I really should have broken it up. My bad). Anyway, I sort of got the idea for the Centran clan from the Information section in the game. If the Gardens were originally built from Centra shelters, then I wondered if perhaps other shelters like them had survived out there, and, long story short, I got the idea of a clan that was descended from the original Centra that survived the empire's destruction. Expect to see much of them throughout the story.


	3. The MIA Trio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really should have broken this chapter up. I apologize for the length. Luckily, I think this one is the longest.

Seifer moaned. His hand reached up to grab his throbbing head. He remembered falling through the roof of the orphanage, and his forehead coming directly in contact with a bedpost. Then, blackness. But then, could he really be surprised? His head itself was hard, or so he’d been told, but what he banged it against was harder and won out in the end. Damn it, he cursed as he opened his eyes. _How long have I been laying here? What happened?_

“I think they landed in there!”

 _Who is that?_ Seifer struggled to sit up, knowing that voice was not Fujin or Raijin’s. He looked around in the fading twilight that seeped in through the windows. The orphanage he remembered was still in the first phases of renovation. The one he was in now, however, looked complete, save for the mess he caused. _What the heck?_

“Seifer!” Raijin skidded through the doorway, looking relieved to see him. “There you are!”

“Raij.” Seifer got to his feet with his larger friend’s help. “How long have I been out?”

“Dunno. A good while. I just woke up a few minutes ago myself, ya know?” He shrugged and grinned sheepishly. Seifer noticed a large bruise on the side of his head; it seemed like he hadn’t been the only one whose head had taken the brunt of the fall. “Fujin’s up. She heard someone outside, so she went to investigate. Doesn’t want anyone attacking us by surprise, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know.” Seifer rubbed his head. “Let’s go find her. I heard voices, too.”

Through a quick glance out the window, he spotted Fujin’s mound of silver hair. He almost jumped back in surprise. Blinking away his shock, he looked to where she was staring at. Her gaze was cast over the beach at the side of the orphanage and towards the light house.

“Whoa. Found her faster than I thought we would,” Raijin said, his tone slightly amused and surprised as he glanced over at Seifer. “Better see what’s up, ya know?”

Seifer and Raijin quickly stepped through the house to get to her. As they hurried through, Seifer took note of the differences he saw, and the growing list was disconcerting. That warped tunnel they had been through… was it what he thought it was?

When they managed to get outside and circled around the house, Fujin saw them and sighed in relief. “INJURIES?”

“No,” Seifer said.

“GOOD.” She pointed towards the beach. “INTRUDERS.”

“Hey!” The same voice from before yelled. “We are not intruders!”

The three of them got into defensive stances. Seifer reached to his left side, and his eyes widened when he didn’t feel Hyperion’s handle. _Shit! I didn’t bring it with me when… this is bad._ However, in typical Seifer fashion, he shrugged it off and called out, “Come on, you coward! Show yourself!”

An irritated sigh drifted from below, hidden by the path that led to the beach. “Crap. This is going to be rough. Desy, what should we do?”

“Let’s just talk to them, Momo. They are probably just as confused as we are.” To Seifer’s surprise, this second voice was male and much calmer than the first one.

The one called Momo huffed. There was the shuffling of feet on sand, and then someone leapt over the rocks. She landed deftly near the clothesline. She stood up and stretched, wincing as her back cracked audibly. She took a good look at the Disciplinary Committee, blinked, and then said, “Oh hell. It is Seifer and them. Except we got the wrong ones.”

This immediately had Seifer on guard. “How do you know my name?” he demanded.

“Eh? Oh.” She scratched the back of her head. “Sorry. Tell me something: do you know what happened to you?”

Seifer regarded the rather small girl before him. She had a mass of blonde hair that reached past her shoulders. Two braids hung on either side of her face; the rest of her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail. She was quite lithe, and whatever womanly curves she was meant to have had not come to fruition. Her entire wardrobe seemed to be riddled with pockets, pouches, and buttons, even in the most unlikely of places. Stuffed into many of them were metal pieces, devices, or electronics of some kind.

All of this was bedazzled with color. Lots and lots of color. And fabric. It made Seifer’s head spin. A hand fitted with a leather fingerless glove covered her mouth as she held back a laugh. “Struck in awe of my beauty?”

He snorted. “Right. More like wishing I was colorblind. Who the hell are you?”

The girl in question glared at him as her lips twitched in annoyance. “Pfft. Jerk, I asked you a question first.”

Her set, determined face left no room for arguing. Seifer glanced away, and it was Fujin who had to answer, “UNKNOWN.”

“Fujin.” Behind Momo, another figure, a boy Seifer determined was probably the one called “Desy,” climbed up the path. “Elaborate, please?”

She blinked in mild shock for a moment, and it was no surprise. Hardly anyone ever asked her not to give one-word answers, directly or not. But she felt compelled to comply and said in a normal tone, “We’re not sure. We were in this strange tunnel with some of our companions. Everything was rushing by us, all these images and objects. Then, we were separated and shot out of the sky and crashed here.”

“Literally, ya know?” Raijin added.

Seifer scratched his head. “Might have been Time Compression, but I don’t know for certain. Doesn’t seem like a Time Compressed world.”

Momo grinned. “Well hell. There’s some brains under that brawn.”

Seifer narrowed his eyes. “I thought you knew me or something.”

“Exactly.”

“Momo,” the boy warned.

Seifer finally spared the boy a glance, and when their eyes met, Seifer’s body inadvertently jolted. The boy gave him a cautious look, and Seifer found himself taking a step back. But it wasn’t out of fear. No, it was purely because of shock. Those eyes of his looked familiar. He had stared down a similar looking pair before, but…

 _There are plenty of people with blue eyes. I’m overreacting._

“So, what happened, Momo and, uh, Desy?” Raijin asked them, breaking the heavy silence.

The boy laughed lightly. “It’s Desmen. And well, we’re not completely sure either. But someone cast a Time Compression spell or something.”

Fujin crossed her arms. “Ellone had everyone’s consciousness when it happened. Whoever did this got us then.”

“Really?” Momo asked with wide brown eyes. “Well, that clarifies a few things, then. So that’s why you look so young. The spell must have planted you here instead of shooting you back to your time. Hey, wait, were there other people with you?”

Seifer shook his head. “Six others got caught in it as well. We were separated in the tunnel. No clue where they landed.”

Desmen brushed back some of his ink black hair that almost reached to his chin. “We got word from Balamb Garden, asking for help in looking for you guys – I mean, you guys from this time. Momo and I were down near the area, so we looked here.”

“You guys SeeDs?” Raijin asked.

“No, actually,” Momo said. “But we do work with Garden sometimes. We have friends in there. We lend a helping hand when we can,” she continued with a wink.

Seifer wasn’t sure what to make of them. They did seem familiar with him, enough to joke around, anyway. They both had weapons: the girl with chakrams, and the boy had a spear folded up in a holster on his back. As wary as Seifer was of their intentions, they were armed, and he and his friends weren’t. Trusting them or not was not a question. “All right. So you’re here and you found us. Now what?”

“Well, I assume you want to find the friends you were separated from so you can go back to your time,” Momo said.

“Definitely, ya know?” Raijin scratched his head. “Hope Squall and the others are all right and didn’t land in the D-District Prison or something.”

Momo nodded. “Maybe I’m overstepping in telling you this but hey, I’m not a SeeD, so, oh well. You’re very much alive in this time, but you kind of poofed.”

“Poofed?” Seifer said, his eye twitching.

“You literally disappeared in thin air,” Desmen said. “Selphie, Quistis, and Irvine were in a meeting when they vanished. Squall and Rinoa were out in Timber when they disappeared, and Zell was eating lunch with his wife.”

Momo nodded. “Yeah. Uh, heard his head landed right on his sandwich when he fell unconscious. Wasn’t pretty.”

A strong sea breeze blew in then, turning everyone’s attention away from the conversation. Dark clouds rolled in the distance over the ocean, hovering like a recoiling animal, ready to strike.

“Well, poop,” Momo said with a pout. “I wanted us to get going and head towards Esthar, but not with this storm rolling in. The nearest building is Odin’s Tower if we move out from here and that’s a long trek.”

Desmen nodded. “Yeah. We gotta hang here for awhile.” He glanced over Seifer’s head and towards the orphanage. “We’ll need to cover the holes made in the roof first. There might be some tarps laying around…” His head swiveled back and forth, his gaze sweeping the area for anything to use.

“By the way,” Fujin said hesitantly, “before we head inside, I just have one question. We are in the future – right?”

Both kids nodded.

“Okay, and I accept that, but just how far into it are we?”

Momo and Desmen exchanged glances. “Well, that depends, really. How old are you guys?” Momo asked.

“I’m 20,” Seifer said.

“Us, too,” Fujin answered for herself and Raijin.

Desmen leaned his head back, and his eyes closed. Momo concentrated as well. Desmen was the first to answer with, “If I’m doing the math right, and again, Garden may not be happy with us telling you this but, I’m thinking roughly 26 years.”

Seifer’s mouth began to form the words, but it froze. The number resounded in his otherwise blank mind. _26… 26 years? Twenty-freaking-six years?_

“Holy hell,” Raijin muttered. “Just… wow.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Momo chuckled nervously, and herded everyone towards the orphanage. “Let’s go be in shock inside, okay? I know it’s a lot to absorb.”

Desmen took up the rear, and closed the door behind them. “I’m gonna look for a cover for the holes.” He nodded to Momo, and gave Seifer one last look before heading off into the orphanage.

Through his shock, Seifer felt the same uneasiness he had from before. It was hard to say just what it was, but something about Desmen bothered Seifer. However, he had to trust him, so he decided not to say anything, for now. Perhaps the answer he was looking for would surface in time.

~*~

 _“This is Ursala Levy reporting in from BSN station.”_ A young blonde woman shuffled some papers, and her face became intensely serious on the television screen. _“Today, rumors continue to fly in Galbadia as President Natalie Armstrong convenes another meeting with some of her head officials, including General Caraway.”_ A short video of President Armstrong, a woman in her late thirties with long brown-red hair, showed her walking out of her office building, looking displeased as General Caraway walked alongside of her.

 _“Last week, word of an unknown man seen around the government buildings in Deling City began to spread. Stories propped up, claiming President Armstrong demanded that he leave. Since then, there have been claims that she and General Caraway have been standing on opposite sides of the issue. However, these rumors are unconfirmed, and neither President Armstrong nor General Caraway will comment._

 _“In other news, there has been some uneasiness in Esthar over the rumors arising in Galbadia. President Laguna Loire has insisted that Esthar is not jumping to conclusions and hopes that any trouble in Galbadia will be resolved soon by its own people, but the Estharians say otherwise.”_

A man wearing traditional Esthar robes came on the screen. The reporter asked him about his feelings concerning the situation in Galbadia, and he replied, _“Nothing good. I remember something similar happening with that sorceress all those years back, right before the war began. All these rumors with no confirmation and mystery people walking around… it’s never good news in Galbadia. I think people should be concerned.”_

The television was clicked off. It was a small black 20-inch screen that was housed in a bedroom in Balamb Town. A sigh was emitted from the room’s occupant. He had brown eyes speckled with green and straight brown hair that fell to his shoulders. His forehead was left bare, exposing a brow that always seemed creased in concentration and pushing against the slim glasses he wore. His body was taut, and his arms were well-muscled. A sickle-chain laid carefully piled in the corner; an explanation for his upper body strength.

His cell phone went off, and he immediately answered. “Hello?”

He waited a beat, and then nodded. “Yeah, I can. Meet me in the parking lot.” He hung up and pocketed his phone. He immediately strode out of his room and left his house, piling into his old pickup truck before driving to Balamb Garden.

Once he arrived, he parked his truck in the parking lot and hopped out. He looked around nervously, like he was expecting someone to come out and catch him in some criminal act. Footsteps resounded from the entrance, and he turned to see a tall girl with a head of bright red hair. “Lamis.”

“Alin,” she greeted with a tired smile.

He smiled kindly in return. His eyes met her light gray ones, and he read the worry in them. “What’s so urgent?”

She ran a pale hand through her messy mass of hair. “It’s the Commander.”

Two more sets of footsteps followed. They both turned to see a young woman with a sweet smile and light blonde hair come towards them, accompanied by a shorter, younger boy with dark skin and short cropped black hair.

“Sorry we’re a little late,” the girl apologized. “Taw got held up in class by his instructor.”

Taw made a “tch” sound. “Figures. The one time she actually bothers to talk to me is the one time I need to be somewhere.”

Alin glanced over their shoulders. “Michi, you didn’t see anyone follow you, right?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s not the first time Taw and I have walked together, so I don’t think anyone was suspicious.” Michi placed a gentle hand on Lamis’ shoulder. “You seem tense,” she said in a worried tone, her large brown eyes widening in concern. “Is it about Commander Nyvae?”

Lamis nodded. “You noticed it, too. How strange he’s been acting lately.”

Taw rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s always had a stick up his ass, but he was honest. He was upfront with everything. Lately, though, while I’ve been doing that damn filing for him-”

“Quick topic switch here,” Alin said, “but why are you filing for him again?”

“Punishment for gettin’ it on with Naomi Rown in the disciplinary room.” He took a step back when Alin gave him a withering glare. “We were left alone! And hey, I was bored and so was she.”

Lamis slapped her forehead. “He’s fourteen, Alin. You were hormonally charged then, too. But anyway, you were saying, Taw?”

“Right.” He looked at Alin uneasily before continuing. “A couple times when I’ve been filing, I’ve heard him scream on the phone, hollering at someone. It’s not like him to scream over the phone, you know?”

Alin nodded in agreement, remembering how Nyvae was known for his manners and politeness. For him to do something as extreme as shout over the phone had to mean that there was something going on.

Taw continued, “He keeps his door closed, too, and he yelled at me to get out once for no reason after he got off the phone with someone.”

Michi worried her bottom lip. “And the way he reacted to the disappearances during the meeting. He was far too calm, from what Xu told me. Something’s up. I still don’t understand why he sent Bianca and the others on that mission.”

Alin frowned heavily, his forehead creasing even more. “I don’t want to suggest this, but it’s possible we’ve been infiltrated. Our enemy – whoever he is - is clever. If you manage to sway the leader of SeeD, then you’re in a good position.”

“Maybe Galbadia, too.” Lamis crossed her arms and leaned against the cement wall. “Anyone been watching the news? Things are ugly in Galbadia right now.”

“Laguna wouldn’t let Galbadia do anything extreme,” Michi said, “and President Armstrong isn’t that kind of person. She doesn’t like what’s been happening.”

“That may not be enough,” Taw said. “What worries me the most is Caraway. He’s been weird, too, the past couple years. Now this is happening and he’s at odds with Armstrong. That ain’t like him.”

Lamis added in a low voice, “Anyone else noticing a pattern? Erratic behavior, disappearances, building tension in Galbadia… Nyvae made Nida go meet the Centra clan and assigned him to take care of what was happening. Then he tried to make Xu go out and look as well. She managed to convince him otherwise because of her duties here, but now he has us under orders not to leave Garden or Balamb Town.”

“But he sent Bianca, Kevan, and Yasu out with Nida,” Alin said. “Which is strange, unless he didn’t want to appear too suspicious.”

Michi hugged herself and shivered in the bleary cold of the parking lot. “I don’t feel safe in Garden right now.”

Lamis put an arm around her and nodded. “I think that makes all of us. We need to keep talking to Bi and the boys and keep them updated. Anyone able to contact Momo or Desmen?”

Taw shook his head. “Tried, man. They could be anywhere. Besides, I think they made it so SeeD can’t find them. Desmen hasn’t trusted Nyvae for a long while.”

Alin blew out a breath. He wished he had taken Desmen’s warning about Nyvae more seriously. Now, it was too late. They were virtually trapped on the continent. There was something sinister in the air; Alin could all but taste it. It made him nearly cringe, and he desperately wished Bianca was with him. He’d feel better if she was. Actually, he’d feel better if they were all together and somewhere safe, like Esthar. “At least Xu’s still here. I’d honestly consider escape, otherwise.”

“What do you think will happen?” Michi asked.

“I don’t know,” he said, “but all of you: don’t let your guards down. Keep in touch. I know Taw can’t really stay at home too much since he’s still in classes, so one of us needs to stick with him during the day.” He glared in warning when Taw went to protest. “I am not saying it because I don’t think you can handle yourself. Actually, if any of us go inside, don’t walk alone for long. I’m going to try and call Bianca later and tell her what’s been going on. Maybe Radovan can help.”

Lamis leaned her head on Michi’s shoulder. “I wish _they_ were here.”

Alin’s eyes saddened, and he nodded. “Me, too.”

~*~

Irvine wasn’t sure why he suddenly felt so nervous. He was lounged out in a chair in a sitting room on the Alpha (the main vehicle he and the others had boarded earlier). The Alpha seemed to have a numberless amount of rooms, despite its size.

Selphie was snuggled in the same chair with him, but she had been strangely quiet for some time. Although she had been pretty gleeful about the prospect of them being married, her perkiness had died down, and she had fallen silent. Irvine had been in shock over the news for awhile, admittedly. He loved Selphie dearly, but he wasn’t the type to think that far in advance. Still, that had been a couple hours ago. He was acclimating to the idea now, so he had no idea why Selphie had been sitting in silence.

He wasn’t sure where the others were, but it wasn’t in the forefront of his mind at the moment. He was more concerned with Selphie. He nudged her with his elbow. “Hey.”

She smiled back at him. “So he speaks!”

“I could say the same,” Irvine said. “What’s on your mind?”

The part of their relationship most people saw was one of goofiness, lots of flirting, petty arguments, and plenty of physical contact. Irvine never minded that image, since it was a part of who they were. But there was a deeper element to their relationship that not many, sometimes not even their closest friends, saw. It was in private moments such as these that it came out.

In respect to that deeper connection, Irvine and Selphie both decided a long time back that there was little point in hiding things from the other. Selphie was the keenest of the pair, but Irvine was certainly adept enough to notice when something was bothering her.

If she did seriously contemplate trying to hide it, she didn’t fancy the notion long. “I feel… strange. The closer we’ve gotten to Deling City, the more I feel it. It’s like I’m…”

“Nervous?” Irvine suggested.

“Yeah.” She smiled gratefully for a moment, but then it fell as she asked, “How’d you guess?”

He winked at her. “My amazing abilities to read your mind. God knows I’ll need them for when we get married.”

“Irvine Kinneas!” Selphie put her hands on her hips and frowned. “I’m being serious!”

It was still incredibly fun to get her riled up, and Irvine thought for a brief moment that hopefully it would remain that way. “To be honest, that’s how I’m feeling, too. I can’t explain it either.”

Selphie leaned her head against his. “Huh. That’s super weird.”

“Super duper weird,” Irvine said, stealing one of her favorite phrases. “Since there’s no reason to be. I mean, the situation’s kind of hairy, and it’s all so foreign, but…”

“I think it might be because of the SeeDs coming.” Selphie put a finger to her lips. “Yeah, I definitely think so. I don’t understand why, but that’s what I’m getting.”

Irvine shrugged his shoulders. “I guess we’ll find out.”

There were pounding footsteps coming from outside the room. Selphie twisted her body to see who was coming, and Irvine leaned past her to see.   
Zell came charging into the room. “We’re about to park outside of Deling.” He was breathing heavily. “Been going around telling everyone so we stay away from windows. We’re a good distance from the city, but Radovan said we best keep away from windows, anyway.”

Selphie nodded. “He’s pretty sharp.”

Zell scratched his head. “Yeah. I think I did or will do or… whatever something to that guy at some point. He seems to have it out for me.”

“What do you mean?” Irvine asked, raising a brow curiously.

“Well, I was wandering around, getting a feel for the place. I think we’re gonna be stuck in here for awhile. And they have some wicked looking machinery!” He pounded his fists together in excitement. “Anyway, I was talking to that R.J kid and Radovan came into the room and he looked like he wanted to eat me alive.”

“Seriously?” Selphie said incredulously.

“Yeah, like, I could kinda feel he had some hostility towards me. He stopped pretty quickly, especially when R.J gave him this ‘don’t-you-dare’ kind of look. Creepy.” Zell tried to shrug it off. “I wish I knew what it was I did, but I can’t just ask him.”

Selphie hopped off of Irvine and walked up to Zell. “Don’t worry about it! Maybe you did do something, but what does it matter? He can’t really hold it against you.”

The soft sound of boots padding on the floor came from Zell’s right. Quistis leaned her head in. “Ah, there’s the rest of you. We’re actually landing right now, so there may be a bit of a jolt in a moment.”

“Wow, this is landing?” Selphie looked around. “I didn’t even notice!”

The structure shook for a moment, and then everything settled. “There we go,” Quistis said.

“I didn’t see you when I was running around,” Zell said to Quistis. “Where were you?”

“Talking with Squall, Rinoa, and Radovan.” Quistis opened her mouth to say something, but then quickly shut it. She leaned against the doorframe and seemed to be seriously considering something.

“What’s up?” Zell asked.

“Radovan seemed particularly interested in Rinoa’s dreams, but not in respect to the man that showed up.” She nodded in agreement when her friends shot her confused looks. Considering this man was supposed to be their common enemy, it seemed particularly strange for him not to be interested. “I know. Instead, he seems more interested in the group of people she’s been seeing.”

Irvine jerked his head back as he got up from his seat. “Why?” he asked.

Quistis shook her head. “I really don’t know. Squall found it strange, too. He kept looking at him oddly. I wonder if Radovan’s interested because he fears they may be a potential target?”

“But who are they?” Zell said.

“If the guy exists, then they must, too,” Irvine said as Selphie got off of him so he could stand up. “Why don’t we find those two and see what else Radovan said?”

~*~

They found Squall and Rinoa in one of the strangest rooms any of them had ever seen. It was a combination of a botanical garden and an aquarium. Trees, shrubs, and plants of all varieties were growing everywhere, reaching up into the enormous skylight above. Wrapping around the south wall was an enormous water tank, full of tiny schools of fish swimming around. Also running through the trees and foliage was a man-made river where river-dwelling fish were swimming around.

“Whoa,” Zell said in awe. “How did they…?”

“They live on these vehicles,” Rinoa said from her spot next to Squall beneath a flowering peach tree. “A lot of the plants grown here are for food, and the fish in these rivers are for eating. They’re pretty self-sufficient.”

“They weren’t kidding when they said they were a wandering clan,” Squall added.

“Radovan tell you this?” Irvine asked as he and the others walked up to them.

Rinoa nodded. “Yeah. It was strange. He was upfront in answering some questions, but not about others.”

The rest of them sat down around Squall and Rinoa, and talked more about the situation. Radovan had, as Rinoa said, been willing to tell them some things like how the Alpha and its sister ships operated, but he wouldn’t explain why he was so interested in her dreams.

“He’s being pretty evasive,” Selphie concluded.

His evasiveness wasn’t appreciated in the least. None of them knew what was going on or what was to happen, and the last thing they needed was to not have answers. Rinoa also noted that while Radovan hadn’t been telling them much (and Nida for that matter) he didn’t seem comfortable about not telling them.

Before they could begin to formulate ideas about that, Dylan came in. He waved to them and said, “Nida’s back with the SeeDs sent here. They’re in the common room. I can show you where it is.”

He led them through some more corridors, where Irvine caught glimpses of computer rooms, a large one in particular that looked like it could fit a small army, and various bedrooms. Dylan pushed open a set of double doors, but before he walked inside, he turned to face them. “They’re inside. Just so you know, since they are SeeDs, they know most of you or know of you. It’ll be a bit of a shock for them to see you like this, so don’t mind any strange reactions. We gave them a heads up about what’s going on, but it’ll still be rough.”

“Understandable,” Quistis said as they walked into the room. “I just hope it won’t be too hard on them.”

“We might want to remember to be considerate and open. If they worked with any of us a lot, this’ll be a hard blow.” Rinoa took Squall’s hand in hers. “I just wish I knew our relationship to all of these people. I mean, Nida’s is obvious, but…”

Suddenly, a girl they didn’t recognize stepped in from the other room. She froze when she saw them, and for a split second, her face turned so pale Irvine thought she was going to faint.

“Easy,” he said, holding out a hand to her.

“Bianca?” A second SeeD stepped out, a tall boy with messy silver hair. He jolted when he saw them and disappeared from sight for a moment as he ducked behind the wall. “God,” he muttered, before stepping back out. “Sorry.”

Bianca shook her head. “Wow, this is rougher than I thought. Um, sorry. I don’t think this is how Nida wanted it to be done. Figures when I decide to wander off a bit…”

Through the threshold, Nida’s head came into view above the other SeeDs’. He grimaced at the scene and quickly spoke to fix the mess. “Well, now that you’ve seen each other, introductions are in order.”

A third SeeD, which Irvine hoped was the last, walked in as well. His eyes registered a flash of shock, but he remained composed. Whether he was more emotionally contained or he had done a better job preparing himself, Irvine wasn’t sure.

“This here is Bianca,” Nida said. “this is Kevan,” he pointed to the one with the silver hair, “and the last one is Yasu,” Nida finished, gesturing to the boy with darker skin and pitch black hair. “They were assigned to assist us in looking for your – erm, other missing selves. Now they’re here to help find Seifer, Fujin and Raijin and then helping you guys get back.”

Selphie was right, Irvine suddenly noticed. Their nerves did have something to do with the new SeeDs. They had finally passed, for the most part, but now Irvine found himself anxious, like he didn’t know what to expect next. He tipped his hat to them. “Nice to meetcha.”

Bianca took a step back. She forced a shaky smile, but it never reached her eyes. “Um, yeah. Would you excuse me?” She spun around and left without another word or reason.

“Bianca!” Kevan called out after her. He moved to follow her, but Yasu gripped his arm.

“Leave her be,” he said.

Selphie’s face fell, and she glanced around them towards where Bianca went. “Gosh, is she okay?”

Yasu sighed calmly and said, “This is a little difficult for us. Being SeeDs, we know you.”

Irvine found himself also staring off towards where Bianca departed the room. He mentally chided himself for wanting to go comfort her or give her an explanation or an apology, or something. He shook his head slightly to dislodge those thoughts. _Just because she’s cute doesn’t mean-_

Suddenly, he realized that his usual urges and thoughts were absent. The girl was good-looking, but Irvine felt absolutely no urge to flirt with her. We’re in the future. _I’m just being cautious, I guess, but I thought I’d have to force myself. Huh._ He glanced at the remaining SeeDs. “We worked with her?”

Kevan nodded. “She’s a pretty big admirer of Selphie, actually.”

“Ohhh…” Selphie scratched her arm absently. “Now I feel really bad.”

“It can’t be helped,” Quistis said. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s a trained SeeD. She knows her mission needs to be done.” She paused, realizing she might have sounded harsh. “I can’t hold her reaction against her, though. No amount of training can prepare you for something like this.”

Radovan then squeezed himself in behind everyone. “Bianca’s always been a little on the emotional side. She’ll be fine soon enough. We got work to do.”

“How are we gonna do this?” Kevan asked, lifting his head up in attention.

“We’re gonna get to that in a moment. Everyone, follow me.” Radovan waved his arm.

“What about that Bianca girl?” Zell asked.

“Like I said, she’ll come around soon. Give her some space.” He waved off any further protests or concerns. “She knows what we’re doing next. Let’s get the hell going.”

He led them back the same way Dylan had taken them, but he stopped when he got to another set of double doors. Irvine peered in when he pushed them open, and noted that it was the same huge computer room they passed by earlier. “Holy crow. How many computers are there?”

“At least twenty,” Radovan answered as he sat down in front of one. The whole room was filled with computers and other devices the time travelers had never seen. They lined the walls, and one of the more complex looking machines was up and running. Various graphs and charts were displayed on its crystal clear screen. It was being manned by a few of the clan members, one of them being R.J.

When he heard them walk in, he turned and waved. “Hey guys, we’re just- where’s Bianca?”

Yasu shook his head. “She needs a minute. What’s the current situation?” he asked as he strode towards the computers.

“No need to be so stiff,” R.J muttered. “And, well, it’s kind of the same.”

“What are all those?” Rinoa asked, pointing to the graphs.

“That’s what’s gonna help us get you back,” Radovan butt in, spinning around in his swivel chair. “The graphs up there are recording magical output. Actually, they recorded the magical output of the spell that got you here.”

They leaned in closer, and some of them tried to study the charts. Irvine just stared at them, wondering how anyone was to make sense of them. “Okay. I’m not a big graph person, but I think I’m seeing two separate sets of data.”

“And you’d be right,” R.J said with a toss of his corkscrew hair. “The data on the right here is an amalgamation of the magical reading that we and Trabia Garden took during the failed Time Compression.” He gestured to the other chart. “The data on the left is a model of what the Time Compression spell Ultimecia launched would have looked like.” He shrugged. “Might be a little risky to use, but it was compiled by Dr. Odine.”

Squall moaned as he slapped his palm against his forehead. “You’re kidding. He’s still alive?”

“Yup. You’re not that far into the future,” a voice said from the doorway.

Everyone faced the doorway, where Bianca was leaning against the threshold. The paleness and jittery movements from earlier were gone; she was composed again.

Radovan chuckled. “You bounced back fast.”

She stuck out her tongue. “I only said a minute. But yeah, Doc O’s still around and kicking. We don’t like him much either, except when we need to pick his brain.”

Kevan and Yasu gave her a pair of smiles as she walked up next to them. She put her hands on her hips and looked ready to get down to business. “Okay, so, yeah. I guess a long time back, Doc O made this model because… well, I’m not sure. He does that kind of stuff, but it’s really handy.”

Kevan pointed to the model’s graph. “I’m noticing a difference in magic levels here.”

“And that’s where it gets interesting,” R.J said with an excited grin. “If you see here… yeah, these lines that go up and down in arcs? Those are fluctuating magic levels.”

Squall nodded. It never ceased to amaze Irvine how the Commander could pick up on those things so quickly. Squall said, “The magic cast on us seems to be weaker, but more level, than the one Ultimecia used. Does this kind of level or lack of waves have any significance?”

Radovan nodded. “Well, that’s part of what we’re trying to figure out. When humans cast a spell, it’s always wobbly on a graph. Since when humans harness magic, it’s not always constant. Just basic human nature. But the one on the right implies someone or something non-human cast it.”

“What if they were just really, really good?” Selphie suggested.

“Ultimecia was really, really good, and she obviously couldn’t cast a constant wavelength magic spell,” R.J reminded her as he motioned to the model graph. “Which is understandable. Sorceress or not, Time Compression is one of the most complex magic spells ever. There’s no way a human cast the spell you guys were hit with.” He paused, and added in a dramatic tone, “At least, not just a human.”

Yasu tilted his head to the side. “But then that makes even less sense. If someone had help casting it, then why did it fail? The spell should have gone perfectly, if the early wavelengths are any indication. Yet, we’re not in a Time Compressed world, or at least, they aren’t,” He gestured to Squall and company. “So what happened?”

R.J smiled smugly. “Well, that’s what we asked at first, too. So, luckily, we kept monitoring the spell way past its peak, and look.”  
Another graph popped up below the one on the right. “See how it dips there and it goes all over the place? Simply put, if this cloaked man we’ve all been hearing about is the culprit, he lost control.”

“Way to go, idiot,” Bianca muttered under her breath. “I’m figuring he had help in some way. Maybe another magic caster or a device.”

“I wonder something else, though,” Kevan said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. Irvine wondered idly if he was still weirded out by who he was surrounded with. “He wasn’t just in this time, but also in their time.” He jabbed a finger at the unwitting time travelers. “How was he able to do that? Even Ultimecia needed the help of Time Machine Ellone and possessing people to do it.”

“We thought of that, too,” Radovan said. “But we don’t have one fucking clue. That one stumps us to the Island Closest to Hell and back.”

Yasu scratched the tip of his nose. “Hmm. Disconcerting. We’d have to ask the man himself. Unless we can somehow convince him to reveal his grand scheme in the light of making us surrender in awe, I doubt that will happen.”

Bianca glanced over at him. “What, you don’t think you could convince him to do it?”

“Very funny,” he said, his voice monotone. “I don’t have the talent to persuade people easily.”

“If you read from a chapter on ancient Centran philosophy, you could probably convince me to do anything to make you stop.”

He glared at her, and Kevan had to refrain from laughter. “Don’t punch her, Yasu.”

Suddenly, classical music was heard. Most of them looked confused, but Bianca immediately glanced at Kevan’s pocket. “Isn’t that your phone?”

He chuckled nervously, and pulled it out. However, when he read who the caller was, the laughter ended abruptly. “It’s Michi.”

~*~

Michi held the phone closely to her ear as she kept glancing over her shoulder. The last thing she needed was for someone to come her way and overhear her-

 _“Mich?”_

“Kevan!” She didn’t hide the relief in her voice. “Are you okay? Did you meet up with the clan?”

 _“Yeah, we’re fine. What’s the matter?”_

She let her heart flutter for a moment at how sweet and considerate he was. But that wasn’t the time to get all romantic. “…Things are a little hairy here. Alin and I and the others met a little bit ago and talked about some stuff. After that, I was walking back with Taw, and well, we saw the Commander.”

 _“…Was he acting odd?”_

Michi chewed her bottom lip and looked over her shoulder again. “Yeah,” she whispered. “When we saw him, he was talking with a Galbadian official. Taw and I stayed out of sight and tried to listen. Nyvae was acting really strange. His movements seemed odd and jerky, and his eyes…” She shuddered as she remembered those eyes, once a vibrant blue now turned into dull voids of ice. “Kevan, something’s really wrong with him.”

She heard him cover the phone, but could make out some faint noises. She waited as he, she assumed, told the others what was going on.   
When he came back on the line, his voice seemed a little harried. _“Michi. Has anything else happened?”_

She nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. “Sort of. He’s just been acting weird for awhile, like his reaction to the meeting earlier, but this is the worst I’ve seen him. I don’t like being at Garden now. I wish I could just leave, but we’re stuck here.”

 _“Stuck? Take a train to Timber, and – well, you know.”_

She wondered why he was saying so little, like he didn’t want someone to hear what he wanted to say. She thought it was strange, but she decided not to press him about it. “Can’t. We’ve been ordered to stay put.”

 _“What? Under what grounds?”_

“None. He wouldn’t give us an explanation. That’s what I mean about his behavior.”

There was forced steady breathing on the other line. Michi’s gut clenched; she knew Kevan was going to be upset. “It’s okay. He hasn’t done anything to us. It’s just kind of confining. I can go into town and everything. I could even go to the Fire Cavern if I wanted and-”

 _“Find a way out of there at all costs, if you can.”_ Kevan’s tone left no room for arguing. He wasn’t the type to order her around, but she knew this was his protective nature coming out in force. _“If you can’t, stick close to Xu. Yasu asks you to keep watch over Taw, and Bianca would probably appreciate it if you looked over Alin. And please watch over yourself and Lamis.”_

“I will. I hope I get to see you soon.” She inhaled deeply, fervently hoping her wish would come true. “Take care of them, will you?” she asked, referring to Bianca and Yasu.

 _“I promise.”_

“I gotta go, before someone hears me.” She paused, and her voice lowered. “I love you.”

“Vice versa,” he said. She smiled, and hung up.

There was footfall coming from down the hall, and Michi automatically braced herself, her hand wandering near her staff. _I’m not even safe in my own Garden or anything, it feels like. This is terrible._

A bob of dark brown hair appeared around the corner, framed by older, steady eyes. “Michi?”

“Xu!” She let out an enormous sigh of relief, and ran up to her long-time mentor and guide.

Although much older, Xu had the same unwavering air of confidence and competence dating back from her youth. “I ran into Taw earlier. He told me what you two saw.”

Michi nodded, tucking a long strand of hair behind her ear. “I just told Kevan over the phone. He’s not happy at all. He wants us to get out of here.”

“Escape is a last resort, but I’m already considering it as well,” Xu said with a pensive shrug. “You’ve been keeping an eye out, right?”

“Yeah, definitely. Alin’s been sticking close to home. Lamis is, too. Taw’s here most of the time, though, so I’ve been hanging around here. Yasu would freak if he found out something happened to Taw. He’s the youngest and the most vulnerable.” She frowned worriedly as she added, “He’s not even a SeeD yet.”

“I know,” Xu said soothingly. “It’s why I fought to stay here.”

Michi opened her mouth to speak, but shut it quickly when she spotted someone walking towards them. When she recognized those empty eyes, she saluted. “Commander.”

Nyvae, a man in his mid-thirties with swept back dark blond hair and piercing blue eyes, saluted her in return. “Xu, Michi.” He nodded politely. “Late night chat?”

“It’s not quite that late, Commander.” Xu turned to face him, deliberately keeping herself between him and Michi. “But late night chats are quite popular. You seem fond of them yourself.”

Michi nearly winced at Xu’s subtle shot at Nyvae. Then again, the older SeeD never had a problem with doing that to him, or even the Commander before him. There were rumors that the previous Commander had left because of her. Squall was the only one she would ever defer to, it seemed.

Nyvae’s lips twitched in annoyance. “I suppose. I wouldn’t stay out too long, ladies. I wouldn’t want any of you to become exhausted. Rest is a requisite for a good SeeD.” His eyes hardened, and they fell on Michi. “At least for those who worked to attain that. Some, I suppose, wouldn’t need it.”

Xu outright glared at him and snapped, “If you would excuse us, Commander, we were having a private conversation. This is a rough time for Michi. I would hope you’d have the capacity to understand.”

He nodded, and began to back away. He was smirking, however, when he said, “Very well. Excuse my intrusion. You’d do well to keep an eye out.” His icy eyes fell on Michi. “With things going the way they are, you and your friends could become the next targets.”

With a sneer, he began to turn around. Before he began to walk away, he added, “Watch your back, Miss Dincht.”

After he left, Michi’s fist clenched, and it shook beneath the force she was using to control her anger. “That man…”

Xu placed an arm on her shoulder. “He’ll never understand that you and the others had to work twice as hard because of your lineage. But his words worry me. It may really not be safe here anymore.”

Michi hung her head. “What are we going to do?”

“Let me handle it. Just stay close to the others, and keep in contact with Kevan. And – wait.” Xu’s eyes widened in dread as she said, “What of Momo and Desmen?”

Michi shook her head. “Can’t reach them. I don’t know where they are. That’s worrying me, too. I don’t like my little sister being out there and out of contact. I know she’s with Desmen, but I’m still afraid something could happen to her out there.”

Xu sighed, but nodded. “We’ll find them. If we’re lucky, maybe they found your parents, or at least a few of the ones that went missing.”


	4. The adversaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seifer finally learns who he's really dealing with, and some find themselves on the bad end of a hit list.

“Fresh air! Sunshine! A good breeze! And… a shitload of barren, dirty landscape!” Momo turned around, pouting at the men and woman who lagged behind. “Come on! It’s morning, the storm’s passed, and we’ve got an itinerary!”

“That being?” Seifer asked dully.

She rolled her eyes. “Esthar, duh. Where else are we gonna go?”

“But that’s such a long walk, ya know?” Raijin protested with a groan.

Desmen grumbled, and walked past the complaining man. “Galbadia’s even farther, and way too dangerous. Esthar’s our best bet. Maybe Dr. Odine can think of something to help you guys. Or maybe they’ve made contact with the rest.”

“Dangerous?” Fujin asked.

Momo nodded, her perky smile fading. “Things have been a little shaky there as of late. Shame, too. Galbadia had been behaving for so long.”

Desmen adjusted his weapon harness on his back. “I’m worried about her.” He paused and clarified, “Galbadia’s President, Natalie Armstrong. She’s kind, but she has a sharp wit. Rules with an iron fist, but not in regards to her people. More like her officials.”

“She doesn’t let them pull bureaucratic crap over her,” Momo added.

Seifer smirked and said, “That’s all good, but isn’t that putting her neck out there?”

“That’s why I’m concerned. I hope her security’s on top of things.” Desmen adjusted his shirt collar, and Seifer caught a glimpse of silver chain. “Galbadia can’t lose her if it wants to stay on the path it’s on.”

Seifer didn’t think anything of what he saw. He, too, wore a necklace. What did it matter? But it bothered him for a reason he couldn’t name. “And Esthar’s been peachy keen?”

“Pretty much,” Momo said, shrugging her shoulders. “Laguna’s still ruling it. They’ve opened up a lot more. I mean, if I’m getting my history facts right-”

“ _History facts._ ” Seifer ran a gloved hand over his hair. “Sweet Hyne.”

“Sorry, man.” Momo waved her hands apologetically. “But, um, Esthar was opening its doors in your year, right?”

Raijin nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Me and Fujin visited it! It’s a sweet city, ya know?”

Desmen smiled, almost nostalgically. “It is.”

“How far are we?” Fujin asked. “From Esthar?” She looked around her, checking out the landscape. “We passed by the first Chocobo Forest, right?”

“Yeah, but we’re pretty far from the second one,” Momo said, not losing an edge of her enthusiasm. “A little ways past the second forest is an Esthar military base. We’ll explain to them the situation and hop a ride to Esthar City.”

Seifer nodded. “I was wondering how the hell you planned on getting to the main land.”

“We need to keep moving, though. Esthar may have a base here, but this isn’t Esthar territory. It’s neutral land which _anyone_ can traipse on.” Desmen kept eyeing the horizon. “Galbadia could have had a base here, too, but they decided not to. Didn’t want to freak Esthar out or anything.”

“How considerate,” Seifer commented dryly as he walked alongside of Desmen. “You mean to tell me they’re actually maintaining world peace now?”

Momo put a finger to her cheek, and turned her head towards him as she kept strolling. “Sort of. No major wars or disputes. Some whining about stuff over the years, like Esthar putting up another Lunar Base and Galbadia developing certain kinds of weapon technology. And really, SeeD is still around, isn’t it?”

Seifer snorted. “Touché.”

The five of them pressed on for another two hours, crossing over more uninhabited land slowly. Momo had brought along canteens of water, and they had a few rations of food stored in pockets and pouches. It wasn’t exactly a physically pleasant trip, but they were doing well.

As noon became afternoon, there was a disturbance of dust coming from the north near the mountains. Desmen was cautiously watching it, and Seifer began to wonder if the kid was honestly expecting people to show up.

Apparently, he was. And it happened.

The disturbance became bigger, and more dusty clouds kicked up until they made way for two Galbadian military vehicles. Desmen froze in his tracks, and Momo’s smile fell immediately. They both tensed, and Desmen quietly asked Seifer and his companions to keep back as the vehicles stopped before them. The engines cut off, and six Galbadian soldiers stepped out from both vehicles.

They had their guns out, and Seifer desperately wished he had Hyperion with him. Momo pulled out her chakrams, and Desmen kept his hand steady on his spear. “Is something the matter?” he asked the Galbadians.

The appointed leader, who was in a red uniform, pointed his finger at Desmen. “We have been looking for you. You are to come with us to Deling City.”

Desmen’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Sorry, I can’t. You can tell Caraway if he finally feels like speaking to me, he can come to me in person. I’m not coming to him.”

Seifer glanced over at him. “The General? How do you know him?” he said.

Momo shot Seifer a “shut the hell up!” look. “Not now!” she hissed.

The leader took a few daunting steps towards them. “My orders were explicit: bring Desmen Leonhart to Deling City immediately. You’re coming whether you want to or not.”

Momo held out her hand as if to silence the man, but it was too late. She winced before opening one eye to stare at Seifer.

Raijin’s mouth dropped, and Fujin just stared at the two kids blankly. “Leonhart?” she whispered.

 _Son of a bitch._ Seifer felt such a contradictory range of emotions; there was no way for him to describe them all. His gut instinct was to confront the two rascals about this new development, but he realized that the soldiers weren’t in a patient mood. And this was something they didn’t need to be privy to.

He clenched his fists, calling back on his martial arts training as he motioned to the soldiers. “He’s going elsewhere. Get lost.”

The G-Soldiers got into battle stances. “We were told to use force if necessary,” the leader warned.

Raijin and Fujin ran up next to them, ready to fight. Momo spluttered and said, “What are you doing? You don’t have weapons!”

Desmen wasted no time. He pulled his spear and charged. Momo cursed and took off after him.

Fujin fired off a Blizzara spell she had, and took out one of the soldiers in one shot.

“Take the rest of them down!” the leader shouted to the remaining men. They ran at their attackers, and a huge brawl broke out.

Seifer didn’t know what exactly happened or how, but the next thing he knew, he was punching and kicking at the soldiers. It didn’t take long for them to fall, especially considering the skill of Momo and Desmen. They weren’t SeeDs, but they sure knew how to fight like them.

When the last one, the leader, finally fell, Momo heaved out a sigh. “Yeesh. That wasn’t cool.” She looked over, and her expression perked up. “Oh! We can use their cars to get to the base! It’ll still take a day or so, but it’s sure as heck-”

She was cut off when Seifer grabbed Desmen by the throat and threw him against the side of one of the vehicles. He hadn’t listened to a word she had said. He was glaring down the boy in his grip instead. “Those eyes,” he said, “I should have known. If I had gone with my gut… what did you think you were trying to do?”

Desmen didn’t even bother resisting the chokehold. He merely reached under his shirt and pulled out the pendant Seifer had caught a glimpse of before. He let it fall and dangle against the buttons on his shirt.

“Griever,” Seifer murmured when he saw the lion’s head on the chain’s end. “Figures.”

“I wasn’t trying to trick you. But I knew you’d have this reaction, and Momo and I wanted to let you in on as little as possible for your sake. It was just easier that way.” His voice was calm, despite the strain it was under from Seifer’s chokehold.

Seifer’s arm was shaking. He wasn’t sure if it was because of rage or something else. “Not a SeeD, my ass. There’s no way you’re not.”

He only had a brief moment to register Momo’s attack before her fist was in his stomach, forcing him to stumble back and release Desmen. As both men fought to regain their breath, Seifer looked up and glowered at Momo, now standing between him and Desmen. Her posture was braced in a defensive stance, both fists curled and her legs spread apart.

Suddenly, Seifer realized that that stance belonged to a martial artist he had tormented over the years. There was no doubt he had taught Momo his moves, just like there was no doubt that the spark of temper he saw in her eyes was inherited from that very same man.

“Dincht,” he spat out. “You’re a Dincht, aren’t you?”

“What if I am?” Momo said, rocking back on the balls of her feet. “But Desmen and I weren’t lying to you, Seifer. We’re not SeeDs.” Her eyes softened as she added, “It just wasn’t our path to take.”

Desmen nodded as he rubbed his now sore neck. “We’re here to help you. I’m not the next Commander of SeeD, here to rub my success in your face or something. I’m not here to get back at you for anything you did to my parents.” He sighed in frustration as Seifer continued to glare at him, disbelieving his words. “Seifer, that crap was nearly thirty years ago. Besides, you have a lot to be proud of now.”

“Like what?” Seifer demanded with a humorless snort. “No longer being considered an enemy?”

“That being one thing.” Desmen then smiled knowingly. “You also have your son who became a SeeD.”

Despite the large span of years between this time and the one he belonged in, Seifer hadn’t considered the possibility of a child. He took a few steps back from Desmen and Momo as he tried to absorb the news.

His son? _His_ son?

Such a person existed?

Unable to think of anything else, his first question was, “Who is he?”

“Kevan!” Momo beamed as she lowered her guard and resumed a relaxed stance. “He’s a sweetheart, and really charming. Sort of like someone we know.” She winked at Seifer before continuing, “He’s a good SeeD, and a great friend. He actually was assigned to help the Centra clan looking for our parents.” Then, she turned to Fujin and Raijin and ignored their surprised expressions as she said, “Oh, you guys, too! Taw and Yasu are – well, Taw’s still a student, but Yasu is a SeeD. Yasu is with Kevan, actually, and helping out with that end of the mess.”

“Wait, us?” Raijin pointed to himself and Fujin. “Like… ya know?”

Momo smirked and giggled. “Yes, like, _ya know_. It’s a funny story, but I’ll leave that for you two to live out.” She spun back towards Seifer, her earlier irritation from before leaking through as she narrowed her eyes at him. “Now, if you’re done being shocked, can we get a move on? Laguna’ll welcome us, and he takes this kind of stuff in good stride.”

Desmen was already shuffling around in one of the large trucks. He turned on the radio, and listened while he searched for a key. “Momo, are the keys on any of the guys outside?”

Momo got down to work, searching pockets. She pilfered a few things along the way, but she eventually found both sets of keys. “Found ‘em! And some Potions.”

She hurried over and tossed them to Desmen. “Here, try one and see-”

The radio blared from one of the cars. “ _Calling all military personnel. This is Home Base. Orders were given to inform all military personnel and assets of the following: The nation of Galbadia has now been put under military rule in light of the execution of President Natalie Armstrong. Under the charge of treason, she was executed by firing squad. General Caraway has assumed control…”_

Desmen’s face blanched, and Momo covered her mouth with her hands as she stifled her gasp.

Seifer’s expression was grim as he said, “I’m thinking her security wasn’t up to snuff.”

~*~

Back on the Alpha, the group onboard was listening to a media stream on one of the main computers in the terminal room. It was a news station in Galbadia, giving them the same story that Desmen and company heard on the radio.

“Treason?” Bianca whispered. “By doing what?”

“I have a feeling we aren’t going to get a good answer,” Kevan said as he rubbed a hand over his tired face.

“Try no answer,” Yasu added. “Regardless, this is terrible.” His expression was solemn as he continued to listen to the report being broadcasted from Galbadia. “Spontaneous and hastily enforced military rule is a sign of a country going downhill.”

“Which philosopher said that?” Kevan asked.

“Plenty of them. It’s just common sense.”

Rinoa was staring intently at the screen, her body immobile. Squall pulled her close to him, and gazed at the streamed footage with her. She shook her head against his shoulder. “What is my father planning?”

Bianca wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. “Do you think Galbadia’s going to try something?”

Selphie reached over to Bianca and placed an arm over her shoulders. “Hey, it’ll be okay! Esthar’s still around, right? They wouldn’t let Galbadia do anything, would they?”

She nodded, and her body relaxed. “Yeah, that’s true. Laguna won’t let Galbadia try anything. I’m sure Estharian intelligence is working on this already.”

Squall’s eye twitched. “He’s still President?”

Kevan nodded and smiled sympathetically. “Yeah. It’s for the best, though. Trust me.”

“Old guy knows how to keep people in line,” Radovan said with a chuckle. “In that special Laguna way.”

“What about SeeD?” Zell asked, glancing around at everyone. “They wouldn’t let that happen either, right?”

The three young SeeDs exchanged uneasy glances. Kevan was the first to speak, “Well, we are a mercenary group, not a police force. These events have nothing to do with sorceresses, so there’s no reason for SeeD to get involved unless we’re hired out.”

Quistis tilted her head. “That’s correct, but there’s something else you’re not saying.”

They fell silent, and stared at the screen. It was a lousy attempt to avoid answering the question.

“Well?”

Selphie nudged Bianca’s shoulder, and the girl sighed. “I don’t know if SeeD can be trusted right now. Not the higher-ups anyway.”

Quistis’s head jerked back in shock. “What do you mean?”

“Remember that call I got last night?” Kevan said. “That was from one of our friends back in Garden. The Commander has been acting extremely odd lately, and his behavior is getting worse. On top of that, he was seen talking to some Galbadian official. Whatever is going on, it’s nothing good.”

“Wow,” Irvine shook his head. “That’s nothing like the SeeD we know.”

Bianca quietly said, “A lot of things aren’t like you know anymore.” Then, more loudly, “But it’s not all bad. And I think if we can get to the bottom of all of this, to the person who’s behind it all, everything will fall back into place.” She clenched her fists in determination. “We just have to be careful until then.”

“We have our work cut out for us,” Dylan said from one of the computer terminals. “We still haven’t even found Seifer and company. Those three could be anywhere.”

Bianca’s lips quirked. “You know, before we were given this mission, I was talking to a friend of mine named Momo. She and our other friend, Desmen, were going out into the Centran lands. He felt some kind of magical disturbance out near there, so they went to investigate. It might be possible he felt the spell, and maybe found Seifer and them.”

Rinoa gave her a puzzled look. “He felt the disturbance?”

“Um, yeah.” She quickly looked away. “He’s in tune with that stuff. Don’t know why. Anyway,” She quickly changed the subject. “if we’re lucky, they found them and are heading for Esthar.”

“That’d be the damn smart thing to do,” Radovan said. “Both of ‘em have good heads on their shoulders.” He smiled softly as he chuckled at some thought that he didn’t share with the others. “That’ll be our next destination, then. I don’t want us hanging around the Galbadian continent. First, we’re gonna swing by Balamb, though.”

“Balamb?” Yasu blinked in confusion. “Why?”

Radovan’s expression turned deadly serious. “After what Kevan told me he heard on the phone last night, and now with this shit happening in Galbadia, I really want to have a word with Nyvae.”

~*~

Alin forced his breathing to be steady as he counted the number of Galbadian officials walking up towards the Commander’s office. _Where is the Headmaster during all of this? A couple days ago, he claimed to have fallen ill, but he still should be doing something._ He shook his head. _If Cid was still Headmaster, this wouldn’t be happening. I wish he and Grandmother were here. And my parents._

By the time the mini procession ended and disappeared into Nyvae’s office, Alin had counted 12 officers. He clambered out of his hiding spot and snuck into the elevator. He quickly pressed the button for the first floor. The elevator lurched and then began its descent to the bottom.

He kept asking himself why all of this was happening the whole way down, but the question was one he had been asking since his parents disappeared. So far, he had only found more questions, not answers.

The elevator doors opened, and Alin quickly walked out. He made a beeline for the Infirmary, where he knew Xu was waiting in the stronghold of Dr. Kadowaki and Dr. Alameda’s office. The latter did most of the more tiring physician work, with Dr. Kadowaki’s age inhibiting her from doing so anymore, but the long-standing doctor of Garden still ruled the Infirmary with her unfailing guidance and strong mind. She also did not take to Nyvae well, which made her office the perfect place to meet.

The automatic doors opened for Alin. He smiled and nodded when he saw all three women sitting together in Dr. Kadowaki’s office. Xu stood up, and nodded back to Alin. “What did you see?”

He gave her a quick salute before reporting, “Twelve officials walked in. One of them was in a uniform more similar to Caraway’s. I’m pretty sure it was Lieutenant General Rye, Caraway’s assistant. He had a similar buzz cut, and I’ve been told Lieutenant General Rye has a constant murderous look on his face.” He scratched his head. “He looked ready to kill, in my opinion.”

Dr. Kadowaki grimaced. “Not good if a big-wig like him is here. Something serious is happening.”

Dr. Alameda, the younger physician with dull blonde hair, bit her lip. “Just short of Caraway himself walking in here. What the heck is happening?”

Xu gripped Alin’s shoulder. “I sent the others to your house. I want you to go there and stay with them until I call you. We’ll go from there.” She walked past him and towards the door.

“What are you doing?” Alin asked.

“Going to do a little bit of espionage work,” she said with a smirk.

“How?”

She paused, and gave him a friendly wink. “I have my ways. Just get home and hang tight.” She saluted Dr. Kadowaki and Alameda. “Thank you, again.”

The older doctor batted at her. “Get going. No time for formalities.”

Alin walked out after saluting the two doctors as well. While he headed for the parking lot, Xu was heading straight for the elevator. When she got on, she pulled out a small device and turned it on. She hit the button for the second floor.

Many years back, SeeD had mysteriously begun losing funds for no apparent reason. Cid Kramer, who was still Headmaster at the time, suspected embezzlement. To help find the culprit, a listening device had been planted in the Commander’s office and it was kept on 24/7. In a matter of days, the culprits, who had been breaking into the office to procure the funds and set it up so it looked like it was the Commander’s doing, were caught.

Although it had been quite some time, the device had never been taken out. Whether it was forgotten about or Cid, in that mysterious way of his, purposely left it there, Xu didn’t know. But she did have the companion piece that allowed an outside party to hear what was going on. She had turned on the listening device in the Commander’s office late last night, after Nyvae’s erratic behavior towards her and Michi finally convinced her to do something about the whole situation. Whether it was still operational, she was about to find out.

She exited on the second floor and hurried towards an empty classroom. She opened the door with her key card and quietly stepped in, looking around to make sure no one noticed. She shut the door behind her and hid behind the instructor’s desk. She stared at the device and listened, hoping to hear something.

There was slight static, some crackling, and then, “…today to discuss Caraway’s next course of action.”

 _Yes!_ Xu grinned in relief, and hunkered down to listen intently.

“Yes, I got a call from him earlier about his ideas. I take it they’re now set in stone, so to speak?” Nyvae asked in a slithering polite tone.

“That is correct.” A deep, gravelly voice said. Xu pegged it for Rye’s voice.

A sinister chuckle came over the sound waves, and Xu’s blood felt like the consistency of curdled milk. “Finally,” the Commander said. “Armstrong is out of the way, and soon enough, even Loire’s hands will be tied. I can’t wait. What is Caraway’s plan?”

 _Laguna Loire? Squall’s father? What could they possibly have up their sleeve that would stop Esthar from striking back at them?_ Xu quieted her thoughts so she could listen.

“General Caraway would like to hire out SeeD for a contract,” Rye said.

“Oh? How wonderful. What does the contract entail?”

“The conditions of the contract are as following.” There was some shuffling of papers, and then, “General Caraway has ordered the finding and capture of Desmen Julian Rain Leonhart. He is to be brought to Deling City. He wishes to note that, while Desmen’s capture is something the Galbadian Army will also be handling, he wants you to search as well and work with the G-Army. The rest of the conditions are for you to solely fulfill: capture Squall Leonhart, Rinoa Caraway (Heartilly), Zell Dincht, Quistis Trepe, Selphie Tilmitt, Irvine Kinneas, Seifer Almasy, Fujin Ardos, and Raijin Neel.”

Nyvae snorted. “The time traveling ones, I presume? Their present selves have vanished. Is that all?”

 _What?_ Xu thought in shock, not having learned of her friends who had come from the past. _Time traveling… how could that be?_

“No. There is one last order: except for Desmen Leonhart, any and all other offspring of the aforementioned people are to be exterminated immediately. Caraway does not want them causing problems. That is final.”

If there was more spoken during that meeting, Xu didn’t know. By the time Rye had uttered the last statement, she was already sprinting for the elevator and calling Alin on her cell phone.

~*~

Alin was halfway to Balamb when his phone went off. He picked it up and answered, “Xu?”

 _“Alin!”_ Xu’s voice was strained, almost panic-stricken.Alin tightened his grip on the wheel in worry as Xu continued, “ _Listen to me. Get to town. Go over the speed limit, I don’t care. Get there as fast as you can and pack. Tell the others to grab whatever they can, but pack lightly. Don’t bother with your uniforms.”_

“What’s going on?” Alin asked, panic lacing his voice.

 _“…God.”_ He heard Xu swallow audibly. _“General Caraway has issued orders to capture Desmen and your parents, and an execution order for you and the others. We need to get off of this continent_ now.”

He swore his heart skipped a beat. “What? Are you _serious_? SeeD is contracted to kill us?”

“ _Yes. I can’t believe it either, but I overheard everything. Pedal to the metal and move. Meet me at the train station. We’re heading for Timber. I’ll talk to you soon. Hurry!”_

“Right.” Alin fought to control his voice. “See you there.” He hung up, and tossed the phone on the passenger seat. He looked around, and when he was sure the coast was clear, he floored it.

~*~

Momo looked up at the sky through the mucky Galbadian military vehicle’s windshield. Desmen was driving intently, with Seifer and company in the other car besides theirs. She clutched the hem of her shorts. “Hey. The clouds have a pretty dark red tint to them, don’t they?”

Desmen spared the sky a glance, and nodded. “Looks it a little. The beginnings of sunset, I think, but they are darker than normal.”

“Isn’t that a bad omen?” she asked. “I heard that one time from one of the clansmen. A dark red dawn means blood was spilled the night before. A dark red sunset means there will be blood spilled by the end of nightfall.” Her eyes fixated on the dashboard. “I’m worried.”

The radio crackled a little. Momo adjusted the dials and tried to tune in.

 _“ –ew orders. SeeD hired-”_

“SeeD?” Desmen looked down at the radio. “Why are they hiring out SeeD?”

 _“-ee parts.”_

“I didn’t catch that. Something about parts?” Momo said as she fought with the dials.

It was static for several seconds, and then, _“-apture Squall Leonhart, Rinoa Caraway (Heartilly), Zell Dincht…”_

As the operator rattled off the names, Momo gasped. “They’re gonna get our parents!” Even as she said it, she felt the car speed up, and Desmen beckoned Seifer to drive faster.

 _“The last condition of these orders is to exterminate all of the other offspring of the aforementioned people on sight.”_

Dead silence. Not even breathing could be hard in their car. Momo was still staring at the radio, and Desmen’s eyes seemed to space out as he looked out onto the endless barren landscape.

The other car’s window rolled down, and Raijin shouted out to them. Desmen snapped out of his reverie and rolled down his window as well. “Did we hear that right?” Raijin hollered.

Momo leaned over to look at Raijin and swallowed thickly. She could only nod.

Seifer’s hand gripped the steering wheel tightly, and his mouth was set into a grim line. “Our kids are probably included on that execution list.”

Fujin gripped her hands together, and both of her fists were pure white from the tension. “But they’re with Squall and the others. And that clan.”

Seifer stared at the open stretch of land before him and whispered, “Leonhart, don’t you dare let my son die. I’ll keep yours alive as long as you can do the same for mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-game Seifer characterization seems to vary widely amongst the fandom. I figure after two years of having a LOT of free time, he would have realized that he really, really fucked up. So he's still kind of a jerkass, but I think he would be less so some time after the game.


	5. A mother's rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Commander Nyvae learns the hard way why legitimately pissing off Selphie is a really, really bad idea.

The Alpha, flanked by the two smaller vehicles named the Beta and the Theta, made its way from the outskirts of Deling City over towards the Dollet area. From there, Radovan planned to make the short cross over the ocean waters between Dollet and the continent of Balamb.

After stopping at Balamb Garden, their course would be set for Esthar. Bianca was very much looking forward to getting there. Galbadia was obviously no longer stable or safe. Momo and Desmen needed to be found, along with Seifer and his friends, who they all hoped were together.

“If they’re down near the Centran lands, then they’ll aim for Esthar. With any damn luck, we’ll find them there,” Radovan had insisted.

Bianca squeezed her eyes shut as she stood facing the window in her little dorm. She had a terrible, gut wrenching feeling. Nothing felt right, and she desperately wished to hear from her brother. A call or a message from Momo and Desmen would have been helpful, too. Just something to tell her that they were all fine.

It was almost dark outside, but she could see the faint outlines of the mountains surrounding Dollet to the northwest. They would stay south of the Dukedom, passing between it and Galbadia Garden. Bianca briefly thought about her friends in G-Garden, wondering how things were going there and if they were all right. But that was the least of her concerns. Her closest and best friends were scattered. They needed to reunite, and quickly.

“Bianca.” Yasu pushed open her door, and nearly bumped into the iron headboard of her cot that was right next to the door. “I was just talking to R.J. There are a couple Garden vehicles approaching and they made radio contact.”

“Our Garden?” she asked, turning away from the small window.

He nodded. “Nyvae wants to come onboard. Radovan’s letting him, considering that’s why he was even going to Balamb.”

“What do they want?” The dreaded, festering feeling grew even more.

Yasu shook his head. “No clue. I don’t like this, though. Nyvae sounded innocent enough over the radio, but there’s something sinister behind this. I’m going to go with Radovan and the others to meet them in the main meeting hall.” The meeting hall was on the very bottom level of the Alpha, and the biggest and most practical room for them to meet.

Bianca nodded. “I’ll meet you down there, then.”

He left, and Bianca stood alone in her room for another few moments, chewing over the development. _Nyvae’s here in person, and without a doubt accompanied. But why? I know this is a really delicate, major situation, but-_

Her phone rang from its spot on her industrial gray pillow. She leapt at it and her hands closed over it as she landed belly-first on her bed. She checked the caller ID and sighed in relief when she read her brother’s number. She clicked it open and said, “Alin!”

She paused, and the smile that had begun to form quickly faded. “Wait, what?”

~*~

Everyone else was gathered down in the main hall. Selphie was fretting with her hands as they waited for Commander Nyvae and his ensemble to arrive. She felt like she was awaiting a verdict, not just hanging around until SeeD’s Commander decided to show up to “check on progress.”

She danced back on forth from foot to foot, trying to get rid of all the anxious energy stored up inside.

The automatic glass doors that served as the hall’s entrance slid open. Everyone’s eyes went straight to them.

Nyvae walked in, surrounded by a small throng of uniformed SeeDs. He was tall and carried himself with an air of superiority. He stepped forward, and the other SeeDs fell into place beside him. His eyes briefly fell on Selphie as they made their initial glance around the room.

Her back automatically went rigid, and something inside her _screamed_ this man was bad, very bad. She tensed and nearly glared at him. For a reason she couldn’t explain, her next thought was, _Where’s Bianca?_

~*~

Bianca dropped her phone after she hung up with Alin. It landed with a loud clang on the metallic floor, but Bianca paid no mind to it. Her entire body shook with anger as she clenched her jaw. “How dare they… after everything our parents did. After everything we’ve done for Garden. This is how we’re thanked.”

Bianca never flaunted her heritage in front of anybody, but she took a lot of pride in it. And she loved her family. Although the fact that she was targeted for execution was scary, what she was more focused on was the capture order for the parents. After Alin had broken the news to her, she told him what had happened with the failed Time Compression spell and their parents from the past that had been discovered near Timber. He had been understandably surprised, but then noted that a few things made more sense, including perhaps why Nyvae had sent Bianca and the boys on this mission to begin with.

Her anger threatening to boil over, Bianca yanked on the sleeve of her coat and ripped it off. She threw the coat to the side. She pulled and yanked at the rest of her uniform and let it scatter all over the floor. She pushed open her suitcase with her palm and shuffled through her clothes. If she was going to confront Nyvae and protect her family, she would do it as Bianca the daughter, not Bianca the SeeD.

When she was dressed, wearing a simple white cotton dress and dark blue shorts, she grabbed a green knit sweater Edea gave her one Christmas and threw it on. She holstered her guns, pocketed her Gil and ID, and with the dogged determination she inherited from her mother, ran for the hall.

~*~

“Everyone, good evening,” Nyvae began as he walked further into the room. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, but there has been a change in orders.”

Kevan and Yasu saluted him, but the clan members made no move to greet him. Radovan just snorted. “Already? The fuck is it, then?”

Nyvae smiled wryly. “It’s a bit unfortunate, but it’s a necessity. We have been hired out by the Galbadian government.”

Kevan’s head jerked back, and Yasu’s eyes widened.

Radovan’s eyes did the opposite and turned into slits. “Hired out? The hell is Caraway up to?” He violently gesticulated with his arms as he spoke, and took a few steps across the enormous room towards the Commander. “You order us to find Squall and the others. We find them, but they’re from the past. You _knew_ this was going to happen, didn’t you? That’s why you sent three of the kids in here, even though you know that’s just plain fucking cruel, and now you’re-”

“Shut up!” Nyvae hollered. “I’m the Commander of SeeD! If I tell you to do something related to SeeD, you do it without question!”

Selphie saw Irvine’s fist clench from her side. “So, this is the Commander of SeeD,” he said. “Wow. How the mighty have fallen.”

“You’re in no position to talk, Kinneas.” Nyvae snorted at him. “You’re a part of these new orders.”

“What are these orders?” Kevan asked calmly.

Nyvae gestured to Squall and the others. “Galbadia has ordered their capture. I am to bring them to Deling City, and we will take care of them from there.”

Selphie took a step back and began shaking her head. “No…”

Squall’s eyes narrowed. “Commander or not, you have a responsibility to tell the SeeDs if and why there are a change in orders.”

“Hmph.” Nyvae motioned to the men and women around them. “I’ll inform you on the way.”

One of the SeeDs began to make a move towards Selphie and Irvine. Suddenly, there was a loud gunshot. The bullet ricocheted off of the ceiling, and the whole room went still except for one person. Bianca stepped in, both of her guns drawn. “You make another move towards them, any of you, and I’ll shoot you on the spot.”

“Bianca.” Nyvae turned towards her and ‘tsked’ at her. “Orders are orders. And why are you not wearing your uniform?”

She glowered at him as she walked past. She kept going until she was in front of the entire group. “Because I am not here as a SeeD. Sorry, _sir_ , but I can’t comply with any of your orders.”

Nyvae’s gaze became deadly, but Bianca did not waver.

Kevan glanced over at her uneasily. “Bianca…”

“Besides,” She crossed her arms. “I got a call from my brother, who’s currently on the run since apparently those orders you’re going on about include an execution list. My brother and I are on it, along with Yasu, Kevan, and my best friends.” She pointed a gun at Nyvae. “Care to explain that?”

“Execution list?” Yasu’s head snapped around towards Nyvae. For the first time, his composure cracked as he said in a high-pitched, disbelieving voice, “You’re here to _kill us_?”

Nyvae shrugged nonchalantly, even as the other SeeDs stepped forward, weapons drawn. “Yes, that was in our contract, I’m afraid.”

“Over my dead body!” Radovan roared. The Centran clansmembers reached for their weapons, but suddenly found themselves attacked by the SeeDs.

“That can be arranged, Radovan, so I wouldn’t say that lightly,” Nyvae chided as the SeeDs subdued the clanspeople quickly. “Now…” He gestured to Bianca. “I suppose you’re going to use those little toys against me?”

Bianca took a battle stance. “Yeah. Commander or not, I have no respect for you. Besides,” She sidestepped until she was directly in front of Squall and his friends. “I have something much more important to protect.”

Nyvae pulled out his weapon, a double-sided spear. “Very well. I’ll take you down personally.”

Selphie’s heart wrenched in fear as Bianca and Nyvae began to circle each other. “Bianca!”

Bianca turned to her and smiled. “It’s okay. You guys keep back, though. Don’t want you getting hurt.” She spun on her heel, inhaled, and then charged at her opponent.

She leapt into the air as Nyvae swung out at her. She fired at Nyvae. He avoided the bullets, but Bianca kept at it. She rolled when she landed on her feet. The Commander’s weapon struck out at her, but she ducked and it swung over her head.

Bianca pulled her arm back and fired a Fira spell. This caught the Commander off guard and hit him square in the chest. He stumbled, and Bianca took the opportunity to come at him and fire.

One of the bullets seared his shoulder. He let out something akin to a snarl, and suddenly, yellow energy shot up from all around him. Bianca quickly back-pedaled, knowing a Limit Break was coming.

Nyvae summoned an enormous amount of energy into his spear. He smirked as he said, “Reverse Momentum Throw!” He stepped forward and chucked the weapon at Bianca.

As it came towards her, she felt like she was being sucked towards it, and she couldn’t get out of the way. She braced herself and was hit as it ripped through her side. She screamed as she felt her side tear open.

Both of her guns fell from her hands as she collapsed. She weakly reached for her side and tried to slow the bleeding. Blood seeped in between her fingers and pooled quickly on the floor from the enormous tear in her side, stretching from her right breast down to her hip.

“Bianca!” Kevan screamed as he tried to break free from the grips of two SeeDs restraining him. Yasu tried to do the same, but when he nearly broke free, he was hit over the head with the butt of a sword and fell unconscious.

Zell sprinted at the Commander, running to Bianca’s aid. Selphie took off after him, ignoring Irvine’s shouts. Selphie ran in a wide arc around the two, circling around until she reached the fallen Bianca.

Zell managed to land a hit on Nyvae in the meantime. Nyvae quickly recovered and attacked Zell. Zell wove and dodged his swings and tried to get kicks in through any openings.

Meanwhile, Selphie was shaking Bianca, trying to get her attention. She could see Bianca’s eyes flutter open and close, and she knew she wouldn’t stay conscious for much longer. “Bianca!”

She had no curative magic on her, which she was mentally cursing herself for. She began to search Bianca for any Stones or Potions that could help. She reached into one pocket, apologizing the whole time for invading her privacy, and accidentally pulled out a thin piece of plastic.

“Just an ID,” she murmured. She had nearly tossed it to the side when she caught a glimpse of Bianca’s full name, printed in black bold letters on the front next to her picture. Frowning, because she was sure she read it wrong, she took a closer look at it.

It read: Bianca S. Kinneas.

Even as she heard Zell yell and crash into a wall, and even as she heard the screams, begging Nyvae to stop, it all sounded so fuzzy to her. Bianca Kinneas. This girl was…

“I … I’m sorry.”

Selphie looked down at Bianca, whose eyes were half-opened. Tears formed and trickled down her cheeks until they pooled onto the wooden floor. “Orders… not to tell you. Please… don’t be mad.”

Selphie set the ID card on the floor and placed a hand on Bianca’s forehead. “I’m not mad.” _Not at you._

Bianca gave her a shaky smile. “I’m glad,” she whispered.

Selphie closed her eyes, her head suddenly spinning as she hovered over her daughter. For a fleeting moment, the current world around her seemed to fade away. For just that moment, through a memory not yet her own, lying in front of her was not a beaten teenager, but a bubbling baby, smiling and giggling as she waved her tiny arms. A surge of warm love flowed through Selphie as she stared down at her. _“My little Bumble Bi!”_ she chirped to the baby. _“Always full of smiles!”_

Then the not-yet memory vanished, and Selphie was thrust back into reality. She inhaled sharply as she fought to regain focus; the transition to and fro had left her winded.

When her eyes opened again, and she saw Bianca lying there, just as she had left her, tears began to form. Selphie’s shoulders shook as she reached out and clutched Bianca’s hand in hers. “Little Bumble Bi…” She sniffled as she shook Bianca’s hand. “Full of smiles…”

“How do you…” Bianca’s speech began to slur as her eyes rolled up in the back of her head. “Know…”

 _If I don’t do something, she might die._ Failure wasn’t an option for Selphie. With her jaw set, she shook off the tears as she gave Bianca’s hand another squeeze. “Don’t worry. I’ll – I’ll save you.”

As the worry began to fade, a deep, overwhelming rage was welling up inside Selphie, and it was rising fast to replace the fear. When she looked away from Bianca and up at Nyvae, everything in her vision seemed to have a red tint to it as the fury continued to build. “ _You!_ ” she spat at him.

As far as Selphie knew, there was only one way to make Bianca safe, and it involved making him go as far away as possible.

Nyvae turned away from the defeated Zell, and he raised an eyebrow at her. “Hm? What is it? Did she tell you?”

Selphie stood up, and her hands tightened into fists. “I saw her ID. Why did you send her here?”

“Seemed fun.” Nyvae walked towards her, twirling his weapon. “What’s it like, I wonder? Coming face to face with your own daughter. Is she anything like you expected? Did you even consider her existence?” He grinned manically, even as Irvine’s face went deathly pale, and Quistis and Rinoa gasped. “It’s so fascinating, this whole phenomenon! Tell me.”

Her emotions had gone beyond rage at that point. She stepped around her daughter and held out her hands straight in front of her. She opened her palms and closed her eyes. She could feel it. Although her weapon was not in sight, she could feel Strange Vision, and as she willed it to come out and reveal itself, she felt it form in her hands. When she opened her eyes, it was there. She clutched it tightly, relieved to be armed again.

For the first time, Nyvae looked unsure. He stepped towards her in trepidation as he pointed at her weapon. “How do you have your nunchaku? It was on you when you vanished! It should have vanished with you.”

“I don’t know.” Selphie began jogging. “And I don’t care. I have it.”

Nyvae sneered. “What are you doing?”

“Stay away from Bianca.” Selphie began to run, Strange Vision in hand. “Get away from here.” The rage that was beyond rage came to a boiling point, and as she came at Nyvae, she screamed, “I’ll make you go away so you can’t hurt her anymore!”

“Selphie!” Irvine yelled in terror. “You’ll get killed!”

Nyvae’s expression quickly became a cross between stunned and startled. He instinctively jabbed his weapon at her, but Selphie dodged it with ease. She leapt up and swung out her nunchaku at Nyvae and smacked him in the face. As she came down, she slammed her booted foot against his chest, forcing him to the floor.

She deftly jumped up after he thudded onto the ground, using his chest as a springboard and landed a few feet behind him. Nyvae struggled to his feet and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a magic Stone.

Selphie had no curative magic and hardly any offensive magic. She did, however, have a Reflect spell. When she saw Nyvae raise the Stone to cast it on himself, she quickly summoned her spell, and just before he used it, she casted Reflect on him.

His Stone broke a second later. The spell cast on him, but was then reflected off and instead took effect on Selphie. To her luck, it was an Aura spell.

“You bitch!” Nyvae spat as he ran at her.

Selphie dashed forward to meet him as she glowed gold from the spell. At the last second she slid and whipped Strange Vision out at his feet. Nyvae tripped over her and fell headfirst to the ground. Selphie quickly scrambled to her feet and tapped into her storage of Limit Break spells.

Although she wanted to help Bianca, she needed to get rid of Nyvae first. She began to maneuver and twist her nunchaku around as she picked her spell. She pulled it straight across in the air above her and shouted, “Rapture!”

Bright light surrounded Nyvae, and he hissed and cursed as a pair of wings formed on his back. The light flashed again, filling the room as Nyvae was lifted up and away before disappearing.

The other SeeDs’ mouths dropped. Selphie glared darkly at them and cracked Strange Vision against the ground. “Anyone else?” she said.

They all looked at each other. Then they let go of their prisoners, and all of them made a break for the door. They wasted no time in getting out, leaving everyone they had come for behind.

The fight was over. With it ended the adrenaline rush. Selphie dropped her weapon, and a sob broke out of her. She did her best to fight off the next wave of emotions which included fatigue, worry, and shock as she turned and stumbled to Bianca. She fell to her knees, and seeing Bianca unconscious and bleeding again, she broke down.

There were shouts and hollers all around. Her body was shaking uncontrollably until she felt Irvine pull her close. “Baby, it’s okay. She’ll be all right.” Despite his words, his voice shook.

Quistis’s face was set and determined. It was far easier for her to remain calm than it was for Selphie. “Surely there’s an infirmary on board. We need to get her there now!”

“Wait!” Rinoa pushed through everyone, fighting her way to the center. “I have Cure magic. Let me help her.”

Squall placed a hand on her shoulder. His tone was hesitant as he said, “Rin, using that much magic at once-”

“I know it’s dangerous and I’m not trained well enough in it, but this is Selphie and Irvine’s daughter!” Her eyes met his, and the set frown in her expression left no room for arguing.

He paused, and then nodded. “Right. Do what you can.”

Rinoa held out her hands as she kneeled down next to Bianca, and she concentrated her magic. Her arms glowed white as she tapped into her magical reservoir. Once or twice her body shook, and she had to fight to keep at it. But finally, after a short struggle, magic poured out from her and covered Bianca.

Within seconds, her wounds healed up as they were overpowered with curative magic. Not even forty seconds later, Bianca slowly woke up. “Eh? Waz happenin’?”

Selphie let out a choked sob of relief. She grabbed Bianca and pulled her into a tight hug. “You’re okay! I’m so so so sorry!”

Bianca blinked a few times, trying to process everything going on. She smiled weakly and put an arm around her mother. “It’s not your fault. Where’s Nyvae?”

“Selphie kicked his butt,” Zell said. Although conscious again, he had to be supported by Dylan and R.J. “Rapture-d him outta the vehicle.”

“Sorry I missed it,” Bianca said, still being squeezed by Selphie. “But, wait. How did you fight him?”

Selphie shrugged. “Strange Vision came to me! It was kinda cool. But…” She shrugged it off, wiping away stray tears. “It doesn’t matter. He’s gone and you’re safe and we have _loads_ to talk about! And – wait, you said you had a brother. Is he okay?” Selphie leaned back to look at Bianca.

Bianca nodded. “Xu got him and the others out of Garden before Nyvae could get to them. They were en route to Timber.”

Radovan sighed in relief. “I’ll call Zone and Watts and tell them what’s happened so they can tell Xu.”

Rinoa smiled fondly at the mention of her two old friends. “Sounds like a good idea.”

Bianca glanced up at Radovan from over Selphie’s shoulder. “We need to get everyone here and then haul it to Esthar. Laguna’ll protect us. And, if Momo and Desmen did find Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin down there, then they’ll be heading in that direction, too.”

Quistis crossed her arms and asked, “Well, now that the cat is out of the bag, does anyone care to tell us what exactly is going on?”

Selphie hugged Bianca a little closer. “Yeah! Who’s Momo and Desmen and – and…” She suddenly raised an eyebrow at Yasu and Kevan. “Who are _you_ guys, really?”

The boys exchanged furtive glances. “How about we go someplace more comfortable and talk? This’ll take awhile,” Yasu said when he looked back at Bianca.

“Meanwhile,” Dylan said as he pointed to the local sorceress, “Rinoa, do you want to heal Zell, and then you guys can go to one of the lounges or something and talk. We’ll get a hold of Zone and Watts and try and reach Xu through them. Then I guess it’s off to Timber.”

“Wait,” Irvine raised a finger as he put an arm around Selphie and Bianca. “what about Garden?”

Bianca snorted in contempt. “They can kiss our asses. Right, Radovan?”

“Damn straight,” he said with a wide grin. “We’re gonna do this _our_ way now. Haul ass, people! We got a shitload of work ahead.”

~*~

The cloaked man stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Centran barren lands. His dark cloak billowed in the strong gusts that formed in such high altitudes. “Nyvae’s use has come to an end. Still, I never thought he’d hand over control so willingly. But to have been beaten by one of the Fated Children…”

His head snapped up, and underneath his hood, his eyes narrowed. “Ah. The other sorceress’ son is not far off. The fallen “knight” is with him, but will even he be able to protect him?” The man rested his chin in his hand. “How easily Caraway turned on his own grandson. That went easier than expected. Nothing like strained relationships to ease the process of control.”

Twilight bloomed over the orange-brown landscape, giving it an almost ethereal and haunting glow. The man shook his head, and it looked like he honestly felt disgust for Caraway’s actions. However, it didn’t matter whether he did. Caraway was serving his purpose, and that’s all he cared about. “Ready yourself, son of a sorceress. Your gift dating from your birth will soon be used against those you love so much.”

He looked back up at the sky, his voice hard as he added, “Now you, too, will know the pain of turning on family."


	6. As one threat ends, another begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as things finally seemed to be looking up, disaster strikes in the Centran lands.

Nightfall was fully upon them, but the Alpha was bustling with energy and activity. There was a sense of excitement and relief in the air as the clanspeople were running to and fro onboard the vehicle. From the main terminal room, calls were made to Timber several times before Radovan’s mute friend, Ajax, managed to establish a connection. Of course, since he couldn’t talk, Dylan had to do all the speaking. But they finally were able to connect with Zone and from there Xu, who had actually been hiding out with Alin and the others in Watts’ home.

The Alpha was turned around and headed for Timber when R.J knocked on one of the lounge doors. He peered inside, and found two generations of family spread out across the room. “Hey. We got a hold of Xu.”

“How is she?” Quistis asked from her spot on the sofa next to Yasu. “Are they all right?”

“They managed to avoid detection from Garden. We’re going to Timber now to pick them up.” The young teenager shook his head. “That’s Xu for you, all clever and sneaky. I wonder how she even found out about Nyvae’s plans.”

Yasu smiled wryly. “Xu has her ways. Although I do have one idea, but I’ll ask her about it when she gets here.”

R.J nodded as he stepped out of the room. “Let me know then!” he called back before leaving with a wave of his hand.

“So, even after we get the people in Timber, that won’t be everyone, right?” Squall asked as he folded his hands and let his elbows rest on his knees.

Kevan shook his head as he flopped onto another sofa. “No, I’m afraid. Two more are out there somewhere. They-”

The vehicle shook, and everyone stumbled forward, some off of their respective seats. “What the hell?” Zell said as he got up off the floor.

“ _Sorry about that guys!”_ Radovan’s voice boomed from the intercom, making nearly everyone jump out of their skins. _“But when I said ‘haul ass’ I meant it. I wanna get to Timber as fast as possible. It might feel a little unsteady for a bit, but you’ll be fine. The Alpha’s just going a lot faster than usual._ ” There was a cheerful guffaw over the speakers. “ _And that’s all the faster you get to meet your spawn. Hang tight ‘til then!”_

Rinoa glowered at the speaker as Radovan hung up. “He’s taking this awful lightly.”

“He’s been wanting to tell you guys the truth instead of going behind your backs about it,” Kevan explained with a patronizing smile aimed at the intercom. “That’s just how he is.”

Bianca giggled as she sat back down next to Selphie. “I can’t believe he called them spawn. That’s so mean. Two of those ‘spawn’ are his nieces!”

“Nieces?” Irvine’s mouth dropped as he looked down at his daughter. “Are you serious?”

She winked at him. “Yep! You’ll see soon enough.” She looked out the window behind her. “We’re going pretty fast, so we should be at Timber shortly. I can’t wait to see some of the others again, although I’ll feel better once we’re _all_ together and safe.”

Selphie, who now had one arm slung around Bianca, nodded. “I think that goes for everyone!” She poked her lightly in the side. “Are you sure you won’t blab anything yet?”

Bianca shook her head in a solemn manner, but her eyes were smiling. It was amazing how relaxed she now was, especially in comparison to how she first reacted to seeing her parents. “Not until we at least get the others from Timber. Then we can make introductions, I promise.”

Her mother pouted slightly, but she seemed to realize she was not winning this argument. Not yet. “Oh, fine!” She glanced forlornly out the window. “Too bad we don’t have the Ragnarok. I’d get us there in a flash. Oh! Speaking of!” She glanced back at Bianca, “Where is it? Is it okay? Please tell me it’s still working and I still fly it like a maniac and stuff!”

Squall slunk down in his seat and muttered to Rinoa, “So, she _admits_ she flies like one?”

Rinoa snorted before clapping a hand over her mouth. She gave Squall a mock stern glare, which was answered with an innocent shrug.

“Hey!” Selphie said, glaring at Squall. “I heard that!” Suddenly, with a sly smile she pulled Bianca closer to her and whispered conspiratorially, “Do they have a kid?”

Bianca nodded, smiling when Rinoa and Squall exchanged surprised glances.

Selphie kicked her feet excitedly in the air. “Really? Do they act like them?”

Bianca stuck out her tongue. “Not telling you anything yet!”

Selphie stomped her foot. “Darn it!”

While Selphie spent the next fifteen minutes trying to get answers out of Bianca, to no avail, Squall and Rinoa passed the time in pensive thought. Sure, they had both been fully aware of the possibility when they found out about Bianca, but it was still such a shock to hear it said out loud: _they had a kid._

Rinoa crawled onto Squall’s lap, ignoring Irvine’s cheeky grin and Zell rolling his eyes and muttering, “Get a room.” She looked up at him with her head resting on his shoulder and asked, “What do you think?”

“Hm?” He lazily opened one eye as he it met her gaze.

She giggled. “About our child. I wonder if they’re a boy or girl.”

“Oh.” Squall leaned his cheek on top of her hair. “I don’t know. You?”

Rinoa shrugged. “I hope they’re a boy. With your eyes. But that’s just my hope.” She wanted to tap into that maternal instinct that seemed to surge in Selphie earlier when Bianca went down, but she couldn’t. Maybe, she thought, she needed to see her child first. “I guess we’ll find out, huh?”

“ _We’re at Timber!”_ Radovan’s voice echoed from the intercom. _“Hang onto your hats and we’ll get Xu and the kids up in a flash. We’ll send them your way then.”_

Selphie squealed excitedly. “Finally! I can’t wait to see all of them! Ohhh, I wonder what they look like?”

“You’ll find out!” Bianca said with a laugh. “You know, _you_ seem to be handling this awfully well.”

“Maybe,” Selphie said quickly. Rinoa frowned as she glanced away innocently.

 _She has to be hiding something,_ the young sorceress concluded.

“But who cares!” Selphie continued before anyone could question her evasive answer. “This is so exciting!” She pulled Bianca into a tight hug for the umpteenth time. “I always wondered if I would have kids and what they would be like and look like. Now I met one and she’s better than I could have ever expected!”

Bianca flushed prettily and hugged her back. “Aww…”

Irvine patted Bianca on the head. “She sure is something, eh, Sefie?”

“Mmmhmm.” She took a step back from Bianca as she seemingly inspected her. “She’s pretty and smart and tough!”

“And she wields guns,” Irvine added. “I’m so proud.” He wiped a fake sentimental tear away.

Selphie shot Irvine a deadpan look. “You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

He frowned back at her. “Well, of course. Wouldn’t you have been ecstatic if she wielded a nunchaku?”

“Not necessarily!” she said, sticking out her tongue at him.

“Would, too.”

“Nuh-uh!”

Bianca sighed wearily, and scratched her head as her parents argued.

The other adults in the room smiled in amusement and rolled their eyes. “Looks like Bianca’s used to this,” Rinoa murmured to Squall. “Some things never change.”

He hung his head. “Sometimes, I wonder why on earth not.”

After a few more minutes of bickering and arguing and Bianca finally telling her parents to knock it off, voices suddenly began drifting from down the hall. Bianca’s eyes widened, and her face lit up in glee. “Alin!” she squealed. She broke contact with her mother to run out to greet him.

Xu was leading the kids down the hall, but paused when Bianca came out. “Bianca?” she called down to her.

“Xu!” Bianca said, running towards them at full speed. “Everyone! Alin!”

Her brother pushed through, dropping his bags as he strode towards his sister. She leapt at him in excitement, and he caught her in mid-air and pulled her into a tight hug. “Bianca, are you okay?” he asked worriedly as he set her down. “Dylan told us what happened.”

She nodded against his shoulder. “Just super duper.”

Alin smiled wryly. “Hanging around Mom a little too much?”

“Do I have a choice?” She grinned with him. “She’s so excited, Al. It’s hilarious. Come on, brace yourself and go in to see her.”

He nodded and walked alongside of her, letting her lead the way. The others followed behind him, exchanging nervous glances before inhaling deeply. They paused right before the threshold. Bianca smiled encouragingly to them and then stepped into view.

Selphie was eagerly waiting inside, hopping back and forth on the balls of her feet. Bianca chuckled and then pulled Alin forward. “Mom, this is my twin, Alin. Isn’t he cute?”

Alin’s eyes went wide, and he swallowed forcibly. “Uh, geez, this is-”

Selphie flew at him and pulled him into a bear hug. “Oh, this is so cool! Twins!” She pulled him back, leaving him gasping for breath. “Hmmm. You definitely resemble Irvine a bit.”

Irvine strolled up to them, trying to act cool as he smiled at Alin. “He kinda does.” He peered down at his weapon and blinked. “The heck is that?”

“Sickle chain,” Alin answered.

Selphie’s mouth dropped. “ _Cool_ ,” she whispered in awe. “You gotta show me how that works!”

Alin smiled, and he nodded. “Of course.”

Another head peered around the edge of the doorway. It had black hair shaved close to a head with a pair of brown eyes looking a little bewildered. “Yasu?”

On cue, Yasu stood up. “Taw? Are you okay?”

Yasu’s little brother fully emerged, and he nodded. “Yeah. Just making sure you were. Heard you got hurt.”

The elder brother shrugged. “It was nothing. We’re fine now.”

Taw shook his head, not buying Yasu’s flippant dismissal. “Yeah, after you nearly got your head bashed-”

Bianca took a step back and brought Taw forward with a tug on his hand. She knew the signs of a potential argument, and decided it was best to avoid one for now. “This is Taw Neel and,” she pointed to Yasu, “for a more official introduction, he is Yasu Neel, the eldest.”

“Raijin?” Quistis smiled as she glanced between the brothers. “Of course. Now I see the resemblance.”

Zell crossed his arms. “Huh. It’s weird. Because I was thinking about it, and you know, Yasu, you kinda reminded me of Fujin a bit. Oh well.” He stretched out his arms. “Guess I was wrong!”

Yasu smiled at Taw in knowing before looking at Zell. “No, you aren’t. Who do you think our mother is?”

Zell’s mouth dropped as his arms dropped immediately. “Whoa! Raijin and Fujin? You serious?”

Both boys nodded. “It’s a long story,” Yasu added.

When the chatter died down a bit, Michi and Lamis stepped inside. They stayed close together, and both wore similar expressions of shock and disconcertment.

Bianca hopped behind them and slung an arm over each pair of shoulders. “And here are two of the prettiest girls I know. Pigtails here is Michi Dincht, and the reddie is Lamis Trepe.” She stuck out her tongue. “Stare at their beauty and faint in awe.”

Irvine smirked. He took a step back, stared at them, and then fell over in a dramatic faint. He crashed onto the floor, arms spread.

“I was completely kidding!”Bianca chided playfully.

“But how could I resist?” He leaned his head up, and winked at her. “Daughter’s orders, and they _are_ quite beautiful, I must say.”

“ _Hey!_ ” Zell snapped at Irvine, stomping over to him and kicking him in the stomach. “Don’t you be hitting on my own daughter!”

“Ow! Damn it, Zell!”

Quistis was shaking in laughter, even as she walked up to Lamis. “You don’t look at all phased by this. I suppose that means…?”

“It’s nothing new,” Lamis said with a smile. “But I’m glad to see you’re unharmed.”

“I could say the same.” Quistis gently tugged a curl of red hair. “I have to say, I love your hair. I didn’t think it’d be in my gene pool,” she joked.

Lamis glanced away and gripped her forearm tightly. “It’s not like that.” She stared up down at the ground. “I’m not really your daughter.”

Before Quistis could say anything, Bianca snapped, “Yes you are! Just because Quistis didn’t give birth to you doesn’t make you any less her daughter!” She glared at Lamis. “We’ve been over this!”

Quistis put a hand on Lamis’ shoulder. “She’s right.” She smiled when Lamis nodded, even if it seemed slightly hesitant.

Meanwhile, Michi managed to pull Zell off of Irvine. “It’s okay!” she pleaded softly.

Zell made a “tch” sound, but nodded in consent. “All right, all right.” He pointed at Michi. “You’re okay, right?”

“I’m fine,” Michi said. “None of us got hurt. I heard you were though, while trying to help Bianca. Thank you.”

Zell waved it off with his hand. “Wasn’t gonna let that Nyvae bastard do that, even if Selphie was the one to stop him in the end.”

“I wish I had seen that,” Xu said as she finally made her entrance. She gave Selphie a congenial grin. “I heard it was quite the ass-kicking.”

“Xu!” Quistis walked over to her. When she got to her, she paused, like she didn’t know what to do. “I…” She closed her eyes, and then suddenly bowed. Xu stepped back in surprise. “Thank you, Xu, for protecting them. That couldn’t have been easy.”

Xu shook her head. “I’ve known all of them since they were infants. I couldn’t let anything happen.”

Michi looked around the room and spotted Kevan sitting alone on the sofa. She gestured to Zell to wait a moment as she went up to Kevan. “Hey,” she said, sitting next to him. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

He shook his head. “No. Are you?” he asked, his eyes scanning her unconsciously.

“Nope,” she answered cheerfully. She gave his hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry. I’m fine, really.”

Selphie turned around. “Hey!” She pointed to Kevan. “You’ve been so quiet the entire time! You haven’t told us anything yet.”

Rinoa frowned when Kevan looked away and shrugged defensively. Unknowingly, she scooted closer towards him. When his eyes looked up to meet hers, it was then that it clicked for her. His eyes, now that she was looking for a comparison, did look familiar.

“Almasy,” she answered for him. “Your eyes are a lot like Seifer’s.”

Kevan looked over the parents uneasily, and Rinoa’s heart fell. He was _expecting_ them to scorn him for his family ties. She quickly glanced at Zell, hoping he wasn’t going to go off the handle.

The martial artist glanced away when Kevan looked at him. “Seifer, huh?”

“Zell,” Quistis said in a warning tone.

He sighed, crossing his arms in resignation. “I know. He didn’t remind me of Seifer, so I guess it’s not a big deal.”

“See?” Bianca said to Kevan, “I told you they wouldn’t care.”

Xu shook her head in amusement. She looked over at Squall who, although he didn’t seem fazed by Kevan’s lineage, had something else on his mind. “You look confused, Squall. You’re wondering where Desmen is?”

“Desmen.” Squall nodded to Xu in uncertainty. “Our… son?”

“Yes. He’s not here. He’s with Momo Dincht. And they may very well be with Seifer at this time.”

Rinoa winced. “Oh, no. A Leonhart and a Dincht with Seifer?”

Bianca nodded, almost painfully. “Yeah. And Momo takes after Zell the most, so, I can only imagine how that’s going.”

“Oh dear God,” Quistis said, slapping her forehead. “Can we please hurry then, before one of them kills the other?”

Michi nodded, though her smile was a little pained. “I really hope Momo restrains herself. At least Desmen is with her.” She sighed, and added, “Uncle Radovan said he was taking off for the Centran wastelands the moment we were situated.”

“Wait.” Zell held out his palm, and he began to sweat. “ _Uncle_ Radovan? As in, he’s my brother-in-law?”

Kevan began to burst out laughing. “Yes. That’s why he keeps sending you dirty looks.”

“Oh! He hasn’t!” Michi sighed when Bianca nodded. “I’ll get him to stop. I can’t believe him…”

Rinoa clutched her sides as she laughed. “That explains so much! Poor Zell.”

Lamis smiled innocently. “It’ll be a bit before we make it to the Centran lands. Might as well spin a tale and tell them that story. It’s pretty amusing.”

Michi giggled. “It’s better when Momo tells it. She impersonates everyone really well.” She then added thoughtfully, “You know, I really do hope she and Desmen are okay. I mean, with Nyvae stopped, they should be safe, but still… I don’t know.”

Xu blinked suddenly, and looked down the hall. A moment later she quickly stepped inside to make room for Radovan. “Everything all right?” she asked him.

He nodded. “Just wanted to tell you guys something we heard. Nida got a call from one of the SeeDs. Her name was Megan or something.”

“Megan?” Bianca asked. “I think I know her. What did she say?”

“They found Nyvae right outside of Garden. Rapture musta booted him far or something. Here’s the kicker, though. When they found him, he was disoriented. When he finally snapped out of it, he had no fucking clue what happened!”

“Are you serious?” Selphie said with her jaw dropped. “He doesn’t remember me kicking his butt?”

Bianca frowned in concern. “What _does_ he remember?”

Radovan nodded. “Damn fool just remembers a man approaching him about a plan to ‘advance Garden’ or some shit that only Nyvae would fall for. Everything after that is a blank.” He fingered his mustache. “This is a stretch, but it’s possible his mind mighta gotten messed up by this mystery guy. If the shithead could attempt Time Compression, then mind manipulation might not be far out of his reach.” He shrugged. “Just my take on it. Anyway, he didn’t get off easy for what he did.”

Xu said with a furrowed brow, “What do you mean?”

Radovan coughed, and glanced away sheepishly. “Apparently, someone told Edea what happened.”

Kevan winced. “Oh no. Grandmother? How mad was she?”

“According to eye witness reports, it was like the wrath of hell and heaven all at once. Not only did Nyvae put Garden in danger because of his actions, but Edea seems convinced he knew just _who_ elsewas also at stake.”

“Us,” Bianca clarified.

“Damn skippy. I’m kinda sorry I missed it. She scared every SeeD within the vicinity shitless.” His shoulders shook in laughter at the thought of well-trained, brave SeeDs running away from the wrath of Edea. “From the sounds of it, too, it looks like he won’t be Commander for much longer.”

“There is some justice in this world,” Yasu said. “The great Centran philosopher Fericles be damned.”

“Some philosopher about justice?” Taw asked.

“Basically, he believed there could never be such a thing. Obviously, if Grandmother existed in his time, he’d of changed his mind.”

Squall smiled, and his body shook once or twice in suppressed laughter. “Glad to hear Matron is doing well.”

“Hey!” Bianca clapped her hands together excitedly. “That means Momo and Desmen are safe! We just gotta go to the Centran area and find them!”

As everyone around her concurred and talked about the upcoming search, Michi closed her eyes. “I don’t know…” she whispered deathly quiet. “Nyvae may not be the worst threat out there.”

~*~

“Hey!” Momo looked down at her tracking device. “We’re only about four miles outside the base.” She looked up and out the windshield. “I can even see the next Chocobo Forest!”

Desmen smiled and sighed in relief. “Good.” He glanced over at the other vehicle, pointed to the Chocobo Forest, and then held up four fingers.

Raijin nodded and gave him the thumbs up. Fujin rolled her eyes.

“How are we on gas?” Momo then asked.

“Really low,” Desmen answered with a shrug. “But we’re close, so I’m not worried. At worst, we’ll have to walk a mile or two. I think we can handle that.”

Momo stretched out in the seat. “I just hope everyone got away from Nyvae. It’s scary to think about it. I can’t believe we have death sentences hanging over our heads.”

Desmen remained silent, not really wanting to talk about it. He also didn’t want to think about what might happen to their friends. He hoped they were all right, that luck was on their side. The other possibility was far too worse.

As they came up next to the Chocobo Forest, Seifer’s vehicle spluttered. “I think they’re out of gas,” Momo said.

As she said it, Seifer’s vehicle came to a stop right outside the forest.

“Oh, well.” Desmen stopped the truck and turned it off. “We might be able to hitch a ride with the chocobos, actually. With it being this dark, maybe it’s best not to walk.”

They got out and walked over to the now dead vehicle. Seifer muttered and cursed at it.

“Looks like it’s chocobo style from here on out,” Momo said with an air of cheer. “I’ll go grab us some. There should be at least three in there.” She skipped over to the forest as Fujin and the boys scavenged through the vehicles, looking for anything of use.

After Momo spent a few minutes peering through the foliage, a chocobo popped its head out from behind a tree. “Oh!” Momo smiled and beckoned it to come over. “Come ‘ere. That’s a boy.”

The chocobo took one big clawed step towards her but then froze. Its eyes widened, and it began to flap its wings and wark at Momo.

“Ugh.” Momo put her hands on her hips. “What the heck? I’m not gonna bite!”

“Wark! Waaaaaark!”

She frowned. “What are you-” She turned her head around, and that’s when she saw what the chocobo was really freaking out about.

An entire line of Galbadian vehicles was coming at them full-throttle in the direction they had come from. “Watch out!” she screamed as one fired a missile above their heads. Momo got down on the ground and yelled at the chocobo to run.

Fujin and the guys hid behind the vehicles. Momo glanced around them, but knew the only other place to go was into the forest, and there was no way she was putting the chocobos in danger. Terror gripped her as the vehicles surrounded them and armed soldiers rushed out.

Seifer got to his feet and stood in front of Desmen while Fujin and Raijin went to grab Momo. When they reached her, they yanked her back towards the cars.

“Persistent bastards, aren’t we?” Seifer said to the soldiers. “The hell do you want now?”

The men formed a semi-circle around them. The leader, a man dressed in a more formal military uniform, stepped forward. “The same as before. We want Desmen Leonhart to come with us.”

Seifer sighed dramatically. “Why _doesn’t_ the old fart just get him himself? If he wants his grandson that badly, then really…”

“That isn’t for you to decide.” The leader pointed to Desmen. “Hand him over now.”

“Or what? You’ll shoot with us all huddled together?” Seifer snorted in contempt. “Well, good luck with that. You need at least four of us alive, if the orders on the radio are valid.”

The leader’s eyes narrowed, not appreciating them eavesdropping on their radio waves. “This is true. So, very well.” He waved his hand, and weapons were drawn out. “We’ll take you by force.”

Surrounded by soldiers and unarmed, Seifer gritted his teeth. _Fuck. Here I am, expecting Commander Puberty to make sure my kid’s okay, and I can’t even do the same for his. Damn it all, I need to do something!_

His vision warped, and in the blink of an eye, Seifer’s mind was no longer there in the desert surrounded by G-Soldiers, but was instead in a house. At least, that’s what he thought it was. The vision in his mind was kind of hazy, but standing clearly in front of him was a little boy with a mop of silver hair, ramming a toy truck into a plastic dump truck. As if suddenly aware of another person in the room, the boy looked up, and Seifer found himself staring into eyes identical to his own.

 _Kev…_

“Seifer?” Desmen’s voice broke through the strange image that had clouded Seifer’s mind. The young man got to his feet as he worriedly looked over at Seifer.

“Stay back.” Seifer had no idea how but suddenly, he could feel Hyperion. He reached out for it, and in a strange, lightless flash, his gunblade was in hand. “I’m the meat shield here.”

Momo ran up to Seifer’s side, and glared at him before he could protest. “They’re not after me. And someone has to keep you alive, Mr. Meatshield.”

After exchanging mutual nods, the two of them charged at the soldiers. Seifer yelled at Raijin and Fujin to guard Desmen before he threw himself into the fray.

Soldiers were sliced and diced by gunblade and chakram. The leader of the G-Army unit seemed unperturbed as the soldiers fell around him. Seifer and Momo took some bullets and wounds, but they pressed on.

Just as the first wave fell, a second wave of fresh soldiers took their place. Momo and Seifer gritted their teeth, and prepared to fight the next onslaught. However, the leader grew weary of the fighting at this point. He raised his hand and chanted, “Ultima.”

“Oh shit” was all Seifer had time to say before the enormous spell enclosed the five of them. Blue, yellow, black, and green light shot everywhere as the Ultima magic did its work.

Desmen was the only one who remained standing out of the group when the spell was over. He hardly had a scratch on him as he bent down near Fujin and Raijin. “Guys…” he said in worry, then glancing over at Momo and Seifer, who were also down and on the ground.

“So, you do have an almost complete resistance to magic,” the leader murmured. “Amazing. General Caraway was right.”

Desmen’s head snapped up. “What? How does the General know about that?” he asked.

The leader didn’t answer, instead motioning to some of his men. “Take him,” he told them.

Desmen’s hand was on his spear, but a soldier pulled out a different kind of gun and shot it. A net came out and closed over Desmen. He struggled against it, but his arms were trapped. A few of the soldiers walked over to him, kicking away Raijin and Fujin’s feeble attempts to grab their feet and lifted him up.

The leader walked up to Desmen and smiled. “Your grandfather will be most pleased to see you again.”

“Go to hell,” Desmen muttered.

The officer glared before rearing his fist back and punching Desmen in the stomach. Desmen coughed, his legs shaking before he over and lost consciousness.

“Damn boy. Now-”

The officer was suddenly sliced in half. His eyes widened for a moment before he fell in a heap, nearly torn in two. Seifer was on his feet, gunblade covered in blood. “Drop him,” he demanded of the soldiers.

Two of them charged at him as the one threw Desmen over his shoulder and began to carry him off. Seifer ran at the two who went at him and tried to break through their defenses. As he did, he reached out to Desmen and grabbed his Griever pendant. “Leonhart!”

The last thing Seifer remembered was grabbing it and then something hitting him over the head. The pendant snapped as the soldiers yanked them apart, and it fell to the ground with Seifer as his world went black.

~*~

“Wark! Wark!”

Momo stirred, and opened one eye. “Choco…bo…”

The chocobo pushed a Stone at her. “Wark!”

She tried to get up several times, but she kept falling down each time. The chocobo got its beak underneath her and helped her stand. Momo took the Stone in hand and broke it apart in her fist. She tossed it weakly into the air. The chocobo, luckily, timed the throw and headbutted the Stone up a little higher. Then, as it went over it, the chocobo kicked it back hard with its clawed foot and sent it rocketing into the sky. The spell went off, and a huge Flare spell lit up the sky.

Momo thanked the bird, ruffling its feathers in gratitude. She glanced over at Seifer, and she motioned towards him. The bird helped her hobble towards him. _He’s out, too,_ she realized as they reached him. Momo kneeled down next to him and pushed him with her hand. “Seifer… Seifer…”

He didn’t stir. Tears stung her eyes as she shook him harder. “Seifer! Please!” She then noticed he was clutching something in his left hand. She pushed open his fingers, and her heart fell.

 _Griever. Desmen’s pendant. It…_ Momo traced the lion’s head with her finger. “Oh, Desmen, no…” She hurriedly look around, fear festering in her gut when she realized he was gone. “No no no no… _noooooooooooo_!” she screamed into the night.

In the distance, the sound of army vehicles rumbled towards them from the direction of the Esthar base.


	7. Traitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Desmen learns who's been orchestrating the recent turn of events, and the others with the clan take some time to relax - before shit hits the fan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry guys, this is a much shorter chapter. Enjoy, and I hope everyone has a good holiday, whatever you celebrate!

Desmen remembered very little of the trip to Deling City. The only clear memory he had was of being stuck in the back of a vehicle in a forced fetal position with a gun to his head. _So much for being the grandson of an esteemed General,_ he thought. _I’m just a prisoner now._

His head banged against the floor repeatedly over the rocky and bumpy terrain, and he was sure the side of his head would be bruised by the end of the trip. He considered it a small miracle when he was dragged out of the vehicle, hours later with all or most of his brain cells still intact.

The soldiers were rough with him as they marched him through the streets of Deling City. Stumbling along, trying to not trip, Desmen caught a few glances cast his way. _These people look so scared,_ he thought with growing anger. _Pity, confusion… but mainly fear. Not for me, they don’t know who I am. It’s these soldiers._ The streets were crowded with soldiers milling about, many of them with weapons in hand. _So, this is military rule in Galbadia._

Desmen’s jaw was set into a determined line. _I have to talk to the General. I must be sincere but courteous. If I can get him to see the error of his ways, maybe I can help these people._

As they approached the gates of Caraway’s mansion, Desmen’s thoughts flashed back to when he was separated from Seifer and Momo. He tried not to show his pain and worry as he was led inside. _Please let them be all right. They’re not far from the Esthar base. If they can just be found, somehow…_

“Sir!” one of the soldiers shouted as they entered the building, “We’ve returned with your grandson!”

Desmen nearly snorted. _I was half-expecting them to address me as a captive or something._

“Bring him up.” Caraway’s voice boomed from the second floor, a voice Desmen hadn’t heard in two years.

He was guided up the stairs towards Caraway’s office. He formulated what to say to him along the way. When he was brought before him, Desmen bowed slightly and smiled politely. “Grandfather,” he barely choked the word out, “it’s been awhile.”

Caraway smiled from behind his desk. “Desmen.” He looked to the soldiers. “You may leave.”

They saluted him and released Desmen. They all filed out, leaving the young man alone with his grandfather. Desmen straightened his shoulders and tried to look presentable, even with his tousled black hair and damaged clothes. “You look well, considering how tumultuous things have been,” he commented.

In truth, Caraway looked worse for wear. His hair was now mostly gray, some of it even white, and the skin on his face sagged more prominently. But his eyes were still cold and hard, and Desmen knew the task before him would be difficult.

“It’s been a rough week, but I’m glad you’re here.” Caraway rose and walked up to Desmen. “You certainly resemble your father more and more. But then, I do see some of Rinoa in you still.”

Desmen shrugged. “That’s what a lot of people say.” He paused, and then continued, more somberly, “Grandfather, what’s been going on? Why was I brought here like this? If you wanted to speak with me, why didn’t you just contact me?”

Caraway sighed condescendingly. “No one would have allowed me near you.” Before Desmen could ask, although he had a good guess as to what Caraway meant, the General continued, “You know, I’m a little hurt that you never you told me anything about your powers.”

That was when Desmen began to sense that he was in serious danger. As Caraway turned and walked around to his desk, Desmen eyed the wineglasses on the far wall. He remembered the secret passage Quistis told them about. If he could just somehow get the General out of the room…

He quickly cleared his throat to respond to Caraway, realizing he had been quiet for too long. “It was one of those things I told as few as possible. I mean, even Grandpa Laguna only knew about it because of Dr. Odine, honestly. And it’s not really a power. It’s just an effect of being born from a sorceress. Some of Mom’s magical properties passed onto me, and that’s how they developed.”

“I see,” Caraway said.

 _Do you?_ Desmen thought, _or are you just patronizing me? You were always good at it._ He scratched the back of his head. “Grandfather, I need to be blunt with you: what do you think you’re doing? Executing President Armstrong out of the blue, imposing military rule, and hiring out SeeD to assassinate us? And about that, why aren’t you handing me over to SeeD to have me killed?”

“Interesting.” His grandfather gave him an empty smile, and a chill trickled down Desmen’s spine. “You must not have heard everything. The orders were to kill everyone _but_ you, and you were to be brought here.”

Desmen took a step back and fought viciously to bite back the rage boiling inside. “Why would you do that to my friendss?”

“They would only get in the way of our goal. They’d try to protect their parents, and we can’t have that.” Caraway took a sip from the glass of water on his desk, as if he were merely discussing business.

“And what about me?” Desmen snapped. “I’ll protect my parents!”

The door suddenly opened. Desmen turned around and gawked. In walked Lieutenant General Rye and a few well-built soldiers.

Caraway nodded to them cordially. “Ah. Rye, you’re finally here. What news do you have?”

Rye flicked a speck of lint off of his otherwise pristine uniform. “Nyvae was defeated by Selphie. When he was ejected from the Alpha, Cyder’s hold over him broke. He’s useless now.”

Caraway frowned. “The children?”

“Alive.” Rye spared Desmen a dull glance. “Rejoice for what little time you have.”

Desmen felt a huge surge of pride and relief flood through him. He knew the others wouldn’t go down so easily. However, Rye’s last words had him worrying next about his own safety. “What do you mean?”

“Your extraordinary resistance to magic is useful, and Cyder told us how to harness it,” Caraway explained calmly.

“Cyder… the cloaked man?” Desmen took a step away from them. “Grandfather, please don’t.” He clenched his jaw tightly as he forced the fear away, unwilling to show weakness in front of these men – his adversaries, as far as he was concerned.

One of the soldiers moved towards Desmen. Desmen backpedalled, and when he neared the side wall, he reached for a wineglass. He felt the rim of one and snatched it. He jumped deftly to the side as another soldier made a grab for him. Noting that not one of the decorated men was armed, Desmen calculated his chances as he hurried for the secret door.

Suddenly, the third soldier pushed one of the old Victorian couches at him. It went flying, and it pinned Desmen against the wall as they collided. He stubbornly held onto his glass, as tried to push the couch back at the soldiers. The first soldier grabbed Desmen with both hands and yanked him out of his trap.

The soldier had his hands around Desmen’s neck. He squeezed and constricted, and Desmen felt his airways tighten. He fought to breathe and kicked at the man, but was restrained by the other two soldiers. Blackness darkened his vision, and he soon passed out, the wineglass falling limply out of his hand and shattering on the floor.

Caraway nodded in satisfaction. “Finally. Carry him to the Presidential Residence,” he instructed as two of the soldiers lifted up Desmen, “and then load him into the containment chamber.” He looked over at Rye. “Is the machinery ready?”

“Yes,” Rye said with a confident smile. “With Cyder’s guidance, our men know how to operate it. It’ll be large enough to protect even the largest assortment of advancing squads.”

“Good. Let us go there, and then we can set up the broadcast.” Caraway walked over to his unconscious grandson and looked down at him coldly. “In the twenty years of your existence, you’re finally of use to me.”

~*~

Michi walked out onto a small balcony jutting out from the side of the Alpha. She hugged her arms around her and despite the warm air, she couldn’t stop shivering. “Momo,” she whispered, “Desmen. Where are you?”

A comforting hand was placed on her hunched shoulder. Michi glanced over her shoulder, and she smiled slightly when she met Kevan’s gaze. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” he said. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head, knowing honesty was the best policy with Kevan. He’d figure it out either way. “I’m so worried. If they’re in Esthar, why haven’t we heard anything?”

“Radovan’s talked to Laguna already. He knows they’re out there.” Kevan put a hand on both of her shoulders and turned her towards him. “Knowing Laguna, he has the entire army out looking for them.”

Michi shook her head. It should have comforted her, but it didn’t. “I know he will. I just can’t shake this, Kevan.” She buried her face into his shoulder, and his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly. “I need Momo and Desmen here, where I can see them.”

He whispered softly in her ear, “They’ll be here soon. They’re both strong. And hell, they’re with Dad, hopefully. He won’t let them die.” He then added, “Granted they don’t strangle each other first.”

This got one chuckle out of Michi. “Yeah, really. I hope this Seifer will like me.”

“I hope Zell doesn’t punch me,” Kevan said in a fake worried tone. “He’s already overprotective of you.”

Michi relaxed in Kevan’s arms, although doubt and worry still ate through her like a cancer. “That’s my dad for you,” she said with a smile. “Where is he, by the way?”

“Still in the lounge, hanging around with the other adults. Selphie’s completely fascinated and Irvine’s going along with it. I feel bad for Rinoa and Squall, though. They’re kind of left out, so I was talking to them when I noticed you had snuck out for a little too long.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I came looking for you. I’m sure Yasu and Taw are keeping them company and everyone else as entertainment.”

“Let’s head back,” Michi suggested. “I don’t want to leave my dad alone too long, either.”

Down in the lounge, Lamis was spinning a tale about Desmen, per Rinoa’s request. “So, you see, we were really young, some of us not even born when this happened.”

“When what happened?” Rinoa asked, leaning forward excitedly in her seat.

“The cake incident,” Bianca said, and paused for suspense, as if waiting for the dramatic music to cue.

Squall’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Cake incident?”

Lamis nodded. “It’s a little odd. On Desmen’s second birthday, he was put in his high chair, and left right in front of him was the birthday cake. Just a regular chocolate cake.” She smiled, and leaned back on the couch next to Quistis. “A lot of people were there. I was there, though far too young to remember. Michi was there too, probably being a little angel, since at the moment of the incident, Zell’s usual bragging about her distracted Rinoa.”

Michi walked in with Kevan at that moment. “What about him?”

Bianca giggled a little evilly. “We’re telling them about Desmen’s second birthday party.”

Kevan snorted. “Oh, that’s a classic.”

Rinoa stamped one foot impatiently. “Come on! Tell me what happened next!”

Lamis rolled her eyes at Rinoa’s impatience, but continued as requested. “Yes. So Zell was going on and on about Michi, apparently. I was probably poking my head into something, so Mom was going after me. Selphie was _very_ pregnant with Alin and Bi…”

“We came out not even a month later!” Bianca added with a wink.

“And the same with Fujin with Yasu. Everyone else was either still separated in two as egg and sperm or just not present,” Lamis said, pointing to Kevan.

Quistis tilted her head. “Why?”

At Kevan’s pained and distant look, Lamis realized her mistake and shook her head. “Uh, another day for that,” she said hurriedly. “But basically, everyone was really distracted by something and took their eyes off of Desmen for just a few seconds.” She looked at all of her friends, who were mostly smiling in anticipation. “Then, when Rinoa turned back around… Desmen was half buried in the cake. Literally. You couldn’t even see his head.”

Zell burst out laughing and fell out of his chair. Squall slapped his forehead, and Rinoa was giggling uncontrollably.

“How did he…?” Quistis asked between laughs.

Selphie was clamping her mouth, trying not to give into the laughing fit either as she wanted to hear more of the story. Irvine was having a lot less luck with that as he rolled back in his seat.

“No clue!” Lamis said with a shrug. “He just did. Ever since then, he’s _loved_ cake. It’s the only dessert he usually eats.”

“And when she says loves it, she means it,” Bianca said.

Alin shook his head, but was smiling. “He does not love birthdays for the attention,” He glanced at his sister, “or for the presents,” To this he gave Lamis a raised brow, “or for the parties.” Another look was shot at Taw.

Yasu put in his two cents, “Yes. Desmen wants nothing more than cake for his birthday. Genuine birthday cake, preferably baked at home, but he’ll settle for ice cream cake and sheet cakes from the bakery.”

“He’s nitpicky with it. It’s the only thing he’s like that about,” Taw said, “so it’s not so bad. A guy deserves to have good cake,” he added with a resolute nod.

Quistis was still a little shaky from the aftereffects of laughter. “Oh my word. That was hysterical. I can’t wait to meet him.” She forced her breathing to steady. “And I can only imagine there are more stories like that!”

Taw chuckled. “His is one of the stranger ones, but it’s not the only classic, you know.”

Kevan nodded along, recovered from his morose mood swing from earlier. “There’s the time we all managed to get into the annual junior-hosted play at Garden.”

Michi giggled. “I remember that! All of us together on the stage!”

Yasu raised his index finger. “Oh, and remember when we all sat out overnight to get tickets to Bio Distortion’s concert in Esthar?”

“Yeah!” Bianca waved her arms excitedly. “Laguna visited us and gave everyone in line water bottles and food!”

“His security personnel weren’t too happy about that, if I remember right,” Alin said as he reclined in a chair next to Selphie.

“Oh oh!” Lamis exclaimed, “Remember when Alin denounced himself from civilization and went to live with the chocobos for a week?”

Alin’s mouth dropped as Selphie fell over in laughter, and Irvine gave him the strangest look. “Damn it, Lamis!” he snapped at her conniving smile.

Bianca sighed dramatically. “Yeah. It wasn’t pretty getting you washed up after that excursion.”

Since they were siblings, and it was only natural, Alin huffed and retorted, “Well, if _I_ am remembering correctly as well, you ran off with a handmade map, trying to see if PuPu the alien would abduct you.”

Selphie was in tears by this point, and Irvine looked even more bewildered.

Bianca let out something close to a snarl. “At least I wasn’t dirty, and my plan was somewhat realistic!”

“It is much more likely to survive with chocobos than it is being _abducted_ by PuPu. I could calculate the average, if-”

“Oh, take your brains and shove it! Who cares about stats?”

“Only those who know how to calculate them,” he said with a smirk.

Bianca’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and she was toe to toe with him as she leaned down to stare into his eyes. “Oh, now it’s on, little brother.”

“Guys,” Michi warned gently. “Please don’t.”

Luckily, there was a soft rap on the door to interrupt the brewing argument. Kevan got up and opened it, and R.J peered inside. “Hey guys. Sorry to intrude.”

Taw glanced over from his seat. “Hey, R.J.”

“Taw!” R.J grinned excitedly. “Remember that virtual computer game I told you about? I finally got it! Wanna see?”

“Yeah, sure!” Taw got up, and chased after R.J. “I’ll be back in a bit!” he called over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

“Boys and their toys,” Lamis murmured.

~*~

When the two over-excited boys reached the computer room, R.J immediately claimed a computer and popped a disc into it. “This is amazing. You have _got_ to see it. The graphics are out of this world.”

Taw bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet. “They’ve been working on this for ages.”

While the computer loaded the disc, R.J glanced over at Taw. “So, you’re okay, right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I guess I mean after what happened yesterday, with you guys having to run to Timber and the execution order and all.”

Taw’s previous excitement dimmed as he stared blankly at the screen. “Oh. Yeah, I guess. It was just surreal, you know? We were just hanging at Alin’s house and the next thing we know, he’s running in there hollering that we gotta pack and flee. It wasn’t until we got him to shut up for a second and ask him what was going on that he told us about the execution order.”

R.J shook his head in disbelief. “Gave us all a heart attack here. I thought Bianca was gonna die.”

While Taw was sort of bummed he missed Selphie ass-kicking Nyvae, he wasn’t sorry he missed the fight before hers. “Yeah,” he said. “I just kept thinking about Yasu and everyone here the whole time. We couldn’t reach ‘em and I thought…”

Suddenly he punched the terminal, though not hard enough to damage it. “Then when I finally see him, he just says he’s fine and it was nothing. That’s bullshit! Why doesn’t he tell me anything anymore?”

Dylan, who was sitting across the room from them, had overheard their conversation. He had kept quiet until now when he said to Taw, “It’s because he’s your big brother. He doesn’t want you to worry.”

Taw spun around to face him. “I’m fourteen and training to be a SeeD! I can handle this kind of stuff.”

Dylan sighed. “It’s got nothing to do with age. It’s a big brother thing-”

Suddenly, something popped up on his screen. He turned around to read it, leaving Taw glaring after him. He then shot up from his seat, exclaiming, “What the hell?”

R.J turned around. “What’s wrong?”

Dylan glanced at the boys, his eyes wide. “R.J, get Dad down here. Now. Something’s happening in Deling City and-” Another alert popped up on his screen. He read it, and his posture tensed immediately.

While R.J picked up his phone to radio his father, Taw walked over to Dylan’s computer and looked at the screen. What he read in the bulletin made his heart stop.

~*~

Meanwhile, Zell relaxed into his chosen recliner and propped his feet up on the coffee table. “So, hey, I got another daughter, right?” He looked to Michi. “What’s she like?”

Michi smiled fondly as she put a finger to her lips. “Much more like you. She can have a bit of a temper when really provoked. Loves tinkering with mech and tech stuff. She’s very adept with them.”

“Someone has to keep the Ragnarok in good shape,” Bianca said, and added sheepishly, “especially when I go overboard.”

Zell punched his fist into his other open palm. “Awesome! I bet she’s really good on missions involving trains and handling mechanical stuff, right?”

Lamis looked at him confusedly. “Well – oh.” She grimaced. “Oh, right, we didn’t tell you.”

Zell frowned. “Tell me what?”

Lamis looked uneasily at the others before continuing. “Well, about Momo _and_ Desmen, actually.” She fiddled with her hands, and looked down at her lap. “I mean, they went to Garden for a little while. We were all in that play, but… they’re not SeeDs.”

Quistis’s mouth dropped. “Really?”

“Wait.” Irvine pointed to Squall. “ _His_ kid, not in SeeD?”

“It’s true,” Bianca said with a shrug. “It just wasn’t for Momo and Desmen. They tried it, they left. Momo’s happier being a mechanic and Desmen, well, he’s still a little unsure but he’s got ideas.”

Rinoa glanced over at her boyfriend thoughtfully. “Wow. I’m a little surprised.”

Squall shrugged casually, not at all concerned. “Probably has your spirit. To be honest, I’m a little relieved.” He glanced down at the ground. “SeeD isn’t an easy life.”

“Right now, he’s been helping out with things in Timber,” Lamis explained. “A lot of political work. Really, part of it is an excuse to hang out with Zone and Watts,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “But he is getting really good experience from it.”

Rinoa smiled wryly as Squall groaned. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” she said.

“And Momo’s been here with the clan a lot of the time,” Michi said, “learning about mechanics and engineering. They’re both happier where they are.”

Yasu crossed his arms. He glanced down at his wrist watch and raised a brow. “Wow. It’s late.”

Bianca looked out the window at the dark sky. “Oh heck, it’s not that late. We can-”

Hurried, pounding footsteps resonated down the hall. Kevan frowned and leaned his head out the door. He quickly got out of the way when Taw came thundering in. His eyes were wide and stricken with panic. “G – guys!”

“What’s wrong?” Quistis asked immediately, getting up and walking to him.

Taw’s chest heaved in and out. “C – Caraway.” He inhaled deeply, and blurted out, “Caraway’s got Desmen! He’s holding him in Deling City! He’s b – broadcasting something over all the airwaves!”


	8. Chess game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world watches as Caraway holds Desmen hostage. Unbeknownst to the General, Laguna has already taken measures to get his grandson back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another (short) chapter! Last one for 2011 :) I hope everyone had a great holiday and have a great New Year!

Radovan was pacing back and forth when both parents and children skirted inside.

“Uncle Radovan!” Michi ran up to him before glancing at a large terminal screen. “What’s happening?”

He grimly pointed to the screen. “Listen and learn.”

Broadcasting over an international stream, Caraway could be seen sitting behind a large, elaborate desk. He was surrounded by decorated uniformed men and regular Galbadian soldiers. The room was vast, decorated with Galbadian emblems and insignias. He gestured with his hands towards the assumed cameras. “Citizens of the world, my apologies for the sudden interruption, but a new age is upon us.”

“Is he kidding me?” Rinoa spat. Squall held her shoulders and squeezed.

“And the world must hear.” Caraway nodded towards the cameras. “As you may or may not know, this is an international broadcast.”

“Thank you, General Obvious,” Bianca said with a sneer. “I think the ‘citizens of the world’ apology was pretty damn obvious.”

Caraway smiled smugly. “Miss Kinneas, I can hear you. This isn’t a television broadcast. This is being done over the internet. Think of it like a video conference. I can hear and see everything you do as well, along with those in all the Gardens, Timber, Dollet, Esthar, and Shumi Village, among other well-known establishments and organizations.”

Radovan stepped back into view. “You lousy piece of shit! Where’s Desmen?” he demanded, emphasizing his point with a slam of his palm on the terminal.

Caraway motioned to some of the guards. They nodded and walked behind his desk. There was a large set of double doors behind him, decorated in lavish gold and bronze designs. The guards heaved opened the doors, and Caraway shifted to allow everyone a better view of what was inside.

Michi gasped in horror. Bianca fell silent, her eyes blank in shock, and the boys’ faces contorted into anger and rage. Lamis slammed her fist onto the table. “Desmen!”

Rinoa knew who she was looking at the moment she laid her eyes on him. Tears squeezed out of her eyes as she saw her son for the first time, held in a containment chamber exactly like Adel’s. There were tubes and wires fed into it, and most of them were attached to various parts of his body. He hung there in the chamber, unconscious and limp.

Despite her tears, anger was also rising inside of her. Rinoa balled her hands into fists as she shouted, “What are you doing to my son?”

Squall held her back and Lamis wisely stepped in front of her so Rinoa wouldn’t lunge at the computer screen.

“You – You – You bastard!” Rinoa screamed, her shoulders shaking in fury. It had been a long, long time since she had been this furious, and from the look on Squall’s face, he was surprised by it, too.

Caraway merely ignored Rinoa as he gestured to the other cameras. “Behind me, for those of you unaware, is the only known child of a sorceress. Incredibly, despite his gender, some of his mother’s power has been passed onto him in the form of magic resistance. With this advanced technology, we have harnessed his power and have created the ultimate defense.”

The screen flashed, and they were shown an outside view of Deling City. From the Presidential Palace, a large stream of energy rushed up into the sky and fed into a hazy blue bubble that surrounded the city.

It went back to Caraway. “This shield is impenetrable.”

Over the feed, there were some faint shouts in the background. Bianca strained to listen and then said, “I think that’s Zone and Watts. Timber must be furious…”

“Of course they are,” Dylan said as shouts of ‘We’re gonna blow you to the moon and back!’ and ‘Arrogant son of a bitch, wait ‘til we get in there!’ were made from the camera connected to Timber. “He’s Timber’s darling son. They’re gonna make Caraway pay. And so will Esthar.”

Alin nodded. “General, you do realize Esthar will find a way in. Dr. Odine has studied Desmen’s powers pretty extensively.” His usual collected demeanor cracked as he angrily added, “And I hope Laguna will personally come in there with his machine gun and mow you down.”

Lamis’ eyes narrowed. “Caraway’s not that stupid,” she muttered.

Caraway crossed his arms. “I almost expect him to. Let it be known just once: if anyone does try to rescue Desmen or stop Galbadia, I will see it as an act of war and will deal with the rescuers accordingly.”

“No…” Michi breathed out. “Even with its army, Esthar can’t risk an all-out war like that, but at the same time, Laguna can’t just leave Desmen there.”

Yasu shook his head sadly. “Exactly. This is what Caraway wants. An international war, and Desmen’s at the center.”

~*~

Ellone hesitated in the Esthar command room threshold, watching as Laguna, Ward and Kiros gave orders to several men. Many of them rushed past her in a hurry. She adjusted the green shawl around her, which had replaced the scarf she once wore around her arms, as she waited to get Laguna’s attention.

 Minutes later, Laguna turned around and spotted her. “Elle…”

She hurried over to him and leaned over his shoulder, watching the monitors as Caraway bragged about how they could control the diameter and strength of the shield. “What does that man want?” she whispered.

“Everything,” Laguna said with a sad sigh.

Ellone lowered her head. “He’s using my nephew and your grandson.” Her hands shook at the thought, and Laguna clasped them in his to steady her. “Uncle Laguna, is there anything we can do?”

“According to Caraway, the only way he’ll hand Desmen back over is if _everyone_ surrenders. Us, Garden, Dollet, Timber, even the poor Shumi Village. All of us must submit to Galbadian control. Otherwise, he’s gonna use the shield and begin invading. I don’t think he’s kidding, either.”

“But he won’t give Desmen back even if we do, will he?” Ellone looked back at Laguna, and she could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

“I doubt it,” Laguna murmured, “and everyone else knows it.” He reached his hand back and gave Ellone a squeeze on the shoulder. “Do me a favor. Will you contact Edea Kramer and see how she’s doing?”

“Sure. I know how worried she must be,” Ellone said before heading out of the room.

Laguna chuckled wryly. “Worried, and pissed. What a scary woman.” His smile fell. “All right, let’s get this done with.” His voice rose as he shouted, “General! A word.”

Caraway swiveled around in his chair to face the Esthar screen. “President Loire. It’s been quite a long time, though you’re the same as ever.”

Laguna shrugged casually, and he gave Caraway an unenthusiastic smile. “I wish I could say the same, but then, I suppose we can’t all age well.”

“Oh, _snap_!” Laguna heard Bianca say from another screen.

“Good to hear the other kids are doing well and out of your grip, although I heard your men left Momo, Fujin, Raijin and Seifer somewhere out there for dead,” Laguna said, his eyes hardening.

“They were of no use to me,” Caraway stated calmly and with restrained impatience, like he was explaining this to a belligerent two-year old. “Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin were to be taken, but they put up too much of a fight. Seifer killed one of my captains while resisting.”

“Good for him,” Laguna said.

From the camera on the Alpha, he heard Michi say, “You left Momo for _dead_?”

His heart fell when he heard her repeat her question, her voice tightening in worry. “Mi-Mi,” he said, calling her by her old nickname, “Momo will be fine, I promise.”

“Confident,” Caraway said with a raised brow.

“Sure,” Laguna answered, shrugging.

Caraway’s eyes narrowed slightly. “It’s certainly misplaced.”

Laguna shook his head. “Nowhere near as misplaced as yours. Do you really think my grandson-”

“ _Your_ grandson?”

“Yes,” Laguna said, his voice getting dangerously low, especially coming from him, “ _my_ grandson.” It wasn’t often the laidback Laguna was genuinely angry, but he was now. “Don’t even try to argue it with me. You’ve lost all right to call him that.”

“That seems a strange thing to be arguing about,” Kiros added from Laguna’s right side. “Considering what you’ve just done, General, I’m surprised you even have the desire to pretend you care.”

Ellone then walked in, but paused when she saw both older men glare each other down. “Uncle Laguna…”

He turned around, and then nodded to Ellone. “How is she?”

“Really upset. She’s going to come on the Garden conference camera soon to talk to Caraway.”

Laguna gave out a low whistle. “Edea Kramer herself. You might want to reconsider, General.” He eyed Caraway through the monitor and gave him a playful grin.

“That old crone has no power, and certainly has no influence here.” The General waved off Laguna’s warning.

This caused several sharp shouts of anger from the Alpha and Balamb Garden cams. Laguna grimaced and chuckled at the same time. “Careful what you say around who.”

The President of Timber, a younger man by the name of Delita, spoke, “General, please. Edea Kramer is a force to be reckoned with, and continuing with what President Laguna was saying earlier, Desmen isn’t an unlimited source of power and magic.” His tone was firm, if not with an edge of pleading as he continued, “If you just give him back, we can drop the whole matter right here and now.”

“Let us come into Deling and get him,” Radovan said, his temper reigned in at the moment. “It’ll be the end of the story, no repercussions.”

Laguna sighed. “General, I highly suggest you take up their offer. This might be your last chance.”

Caraway scoffed. “This is Galbadia’s shining moment, and you expect me to give in?”

The Estharian President crossed his arms. “You know, not even 30 years ago, you risked your job and status to overthrow the dictatorship of a sorceress. Now look have far you’ve fallen.” He cut off any retaliation from Caraway; he no longer felt like listening. “It’s your call, but I can’t say I didn’t try.”

The General gave Laguna a questioning glare. “What are you playing at?”

“Just doing my diplomatic tap dance. If you excuse me, this old man needs to use a toilet. Kiros, I’ll leave you to banter with him for a bit.” Laguna got up from his seat and walked out. As he exited the doors, he smiled and winked at Ellone.

He had no intention of going to a bathroom just yet. When he was far away from the terminal station, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. He pressed it to his ear and listened. “Ah, Zone! What a surprise.”

Laguna chortled. “Yes, this is him. I’m quite fine. Old Caraway’s not budging, so it’s on to Plan B. Are they-” He grinned. “They are? Good. Tell them I gave the okay to move in if they’re ready. I’d rather get this over quickly before Caraway tries something else. Tell them to be careful. Desmen’s safety is priority.” He paused. “Yes, I agree. But with those two especially, it’ll be quite a show. Wish them good luck for me.”

He hung up and pocketed his phone as he finally directed himself towards the bathroom. “Might as well go now so I don’t miss anything.” He scratched his head, but then cursed when he felt his leg cramp. “No need to be nervous! They’ll be fine.” He limped on his cramping leg, muttering to himself all the way to the toilet.

~*~

About an hour later, a train rolled into the Deling City Station, the shield lifting up for it to come in. It came to a stop at Platform 1, newly arrived from Timber.

Some G-Army soldiers walked up to the train. “This is the last train allowed in here,” one soldier commented.

“Everyone out!” a soldier in a red uniform shouted.

The train was silent, and nothing stirred inside its cars.

“The hell is this, a ghost train?” The red uniformed man yanked the first passenger door open. “I said, everyone-”

His throat gurgled as a chakram sliced through it. In seconds, all the train doors burst open, and soldiers dressed in both Timber and Esthar uniforms leapt out. There were four others as well who were dressed in plainclothes, one being the bearer of the chakram.

Before any help could be radioed in, the Galbadian soldiers fell as weapons sliced and shot them open, leaving them dead and strewn across the platform.

One man wearing a long gray coat pulled his gunblade out of one soldier and wiped it clean on his dead opponent’s uniform. He glanced towards where the beam of energy shot out to support the shield. Ever aware of the weight of the pendant in his pocket, he pointed towards the Presidential Residence. “Let’s go.”

~*~

Laguna was planning something. Edea was sure of it.

She pursed her lips as she sat in an office chair next to a few SeeDs, who were monitoring the progress in Deling City. The door to the Headmaster’s office opened, and Cid hurried in, his spectacles almost falling off as he raked his hand through almost pure white hair. “Edea…”

She smiled when she heard him. “I’m sorry I rushed off without you earlier, dear.”

“No need to apologize. Someone had to scold Nyvae.” He forced an amused smile. “And with Xu and Nida gone, it’s best if someone with authority was here. I have no idea where Headmaster Ian is.”

“Cowering in a corner somewhere,” an older SeeD answered. He snorted impolitely. “If he hadn’t let Nyvae go unchecked, this might have been prevented.”

“True,” Edea said, “but now is no time to cast blame. We must hope something can be done for Desmen…” Her throat squeezed, and she winced as she thought about her grandson being hung up in a containment chamber like some lab tech’s specimen.

Cid’s comforting arms enclosed around her shoulders. “He’ll be all right. He’s very strong,” he whispered.

Another SeeD, a young, round kid hovered in the corner, staring at the screen. When Caraway turned his attention to Esthar’s cam, he leaned over to Edea and whispered, “Mrs. Kramer? There’s a message from Esthar.”

“Ellone again?” she asked.

He shook his head. “It was a man who sent it, I think. It’s signed ‘Ward.’” He grabbed the laptop that was sitting on the Headmaster’s desk and opened it up, away from where Caraway could see it. “Here.”

Edea got up and walked to the screen, glancing towards the camera connected with Deling City before looking at the laptop. The message read:

 _Laguna wanted to tell you this himself, but he hasn’t had the chance. He says, “From one grandparent to another, I want to let you know that Desmen will be fine. I have a team that’s just infiltrated Deling City, and they’re en route to the Presidential Residence now. You’re a cool lady, so I know I can trust you. If you can help me keep that bum distracted, I’d be grateful. Seifer, Fujin, Raijin, and Momo are on that team, but they’re still injured. I’d rather help them as much as possible.”_

 _This explains why Laguna is so calm._ Edea fought to keep her face composed and not break out into a triumphant smile. She simply nodded as shut the laptop.

“Is everything okay?” the SeeD asked.

“Quite fine, thank you.”  She returned to her former seat and folded her hands in her lap. _Distract him? Hmmm…_

“General Caraway,” she said. When he turned to her, she asked, “There’s something I want to ask you.”

He gestured for her to continue.

She smiled placidly and said, “What makes you think you will come out of this situation victorious?”


	9. Arrival of the party crashers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you're going to kidnap your grandson and want to get rid of his companions, make sure they're dead. Otherwise, they'll come to your city, crash your little party, rescue said grandson and proceed to make your life a living hell. Especially if they're Momo and Seifer.

G-Army soldiers fell one by one as Seifer’s team stealthily snuck through the city. Most of the security was so focused on other things, like watching the citizens and keeping order, that they weren’t worried about intruders. They were that confident in the shield and Caraway’s “fool-proof plan.” That blind faith was about to cost them dearly.

Momo crouched down behind a statue behind the Presidential Residence. “Do we have a way in?” she asked in a hushed whisper.

An Esthar soldier pulled out a map on his video communicator. “According to these blueprints, there’s an entrance to the lower level basement just past those bushes,” He pointed to the shrubbery dead ahead, “I think we got through the main security force, so we shouldn’t have too much of an issue getting in. It’s once we’re inside that we may find some trouble.”

Seifer glanced up at the energy beam. “It’s coming almost directly from the center. Isn’t Caraway in the main assembly hall?”

“Yeah,” Momo said, “and Desy’s in the room behind it. But with a containment chamber and all the machinery it would take to project a shield like this, there’s no way it’s contained in one room.”

The Esthar soldier said, “Dr. Odine thinks that in order to support it, it would need an incredibly huge generator.”

“Basement,” Fujin suggested.

Momo nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking. And that’s where we’re headed.” She took off for the entrance, followed by the entire team.

They ducked behind trees and lawn decorations, staying out of view of any lingering guards and the windows. Momo silently scoffed at how easy it was to get in. _Too many statues and stuff for people to hide behind. Even if there was maximum security, it wouldn’t be that hard, especially at night._

 _Not for me, anyway,_ she mentally added with a smirk.

The entrance suddenly appeared in a gap between the bushes. Momo ran up to it and kicked it open. The thud resounded through the courtyard, and Momo winced. “Sorry!”

Seifer rolled his eyes. “Done by a true Dincht.”

“Oh, shut up, _meatshield._ If we did this your way, we’d have the entire army after us by now!” she snapped with balled fists.

Fujin grabbed them both by the ears and pulled them in. “Rescue. Desmen. Must go _now._ ”

They both cursed and spluttered as they were dragged inside. The last man in closed the door behind them. They were enclosed in utter darkness. Flashlights were pulled out and turned on.

Raijin aimed the one given to him down a dark hallway. “I see some lights that way,” he said.

They followed the path down. The entire time they walked down the corridors, there were no signs of any other life. However, their guards were never lowered. They could be attacked at any second, and there was no room for failure.

Momo hesitantly pushed open a door with light peering through the bottom. Blinking in the darkness, she aimed her flashlight around until she found a switch. She flipped it, and the low hanging ceiling lamps flickered on, row by row. The whole room illuminated, and Momo gasped. “Guys! This way! I found it!”

Footsteps echoed from behind her, but Momo ran right at the enormous generator. She stopped a few yards in front of it and studied it closely with a scrutinizing brow.

A moment later, the rest of the team ran in. “Holy shit,” one Timber soldier muttered, “it’s huge. What do we aim for?”

The Esthar soldier with the communicator said, “Well, Miss Dincht will know soon enough. It’s a good thing we have her with us.”

“She a mechanic?” Raijin asked.

He nodded. “To put it lightly. Momo Dincht is rumored to be a mechanic and electronics prodigy. Only 16 years old, too.”

Seifer walked up to the generator with that information in hand. Momo was already perched on top of some piece of the generator sticking out, and she had a device held against it. He asked, “What is that thing?”

“It’s a scanner I built. It’ll assess any machine in a minute. Basically, it’ll give me a blueprint of this and I can figure out what we need to- ah!” She studied the readout, scratching her chin all the while. “Hmmm… well, if that goes into that… but then… huh.” She tilted her head, and then cried, “Got it! Meatshield,” she looked down at Seifer. “see that big yellow wire that’s circling around it?”

Seifer glared at his nickname but answered, “Yeah?”

“Cut it. That’s what’s supporting the energy shield. It’s the input part: it’s taking the magic that the green wire, the output, is sucking from Desmen and turning it into useable, manageable energy,” she explained, motioning with her hands how it worked. “Destroy that, and the shield should go down.”

He nodded without question. He took out Hyperion, cocked the gun handle, and then sliced through it in one swipe. It was a clean cut, and the wire sparked for only a second. Then, there was a low moan from the machine, followed by silence.

“The shield’s down,” Momo said in triumph.

For good measure, Seifer also cut the green wire. He then looked up the generator. “There’s an access hole to where the wires connect to the containment chamber. Do you think we can fit through?”

She climbed up the generator, eventually disappearing amidst the wires. A minute later, her head poked through. “Yeah. Not all at once, but people can fit through. There’s security up there though, guarding the room.”

Seifer began climbing up after her, followed by Fujin and Raijin. A few soldiers clambered after them. Seifer turned to look down at them. “Just a few of you come up. The rest of you stay there until we tell you to come up.”

The three of them plus four soldiers from Timber and Esthar made their way up the generator, grabbing onto wires and the assortment of parts sticking out. Towards the top, they had to push through where the wires condensed while trying not to make a scene.

Momo was almost on top of the containment chamber when they got through the hole. She motioned for them to stay quiet and keep behind the large container. Below, the few soldiers in the room were busy peeking through the door, listening in.

“Some security,” Momo mumbled. “Need them to shut the door, though.”

Sensing the same problem, Seifer leapt out and called out in a mock deep voice, imitating a commanding officer, “Close the door you eavesdropping babies!”

One soldier immediately shut the door. He spun around with his other comrades as they quickly saluted him. “Y - Yes sir, we-”

Seifer leapt at them, crossing the room in seconds and slashed at them before they could react. Momo and the other members of the team came out of their hiding spots and attacked. They drove the guards from the door and scattered them across the room.

They fell quickly. Momo clipped her chakrams to her sides and rushed over to the chamber. “Desy!” she called out in a wail. Her hands pressed against the hard plastic keeping him inside.

An Esthar soldier went down the hole to bring everybody else up. Two Timber soldiers hurried over to Momo, and one said in a melancholy voice, “Zone and Watts would be devastated to see this.”

“Shut it off,” Seifer told Momo. “Curse his condition later. We need to get him out right now.”

Momo nodded before flipping open a latch to the right. She hit a button, and the whole thing turned off with a low groan. Since Desmen wasn’t being kept frozen, or at least not for a long time, it didn’t take long for the inside to thaw out, and for the plastic to turn stretchy and flexible. Desmen leaned against the plastic, making it sag as his weight pressed it down.

Seifer wasted no time. Hyperion sliced the plastic beneath Desmen and in between his arms. Raijin ran over to Seifer as Desmen fell through, and they both caught him.

“Damn tubes and wires,” Seifer said, referring to all of the lines attached to Desmen. “Can we just rip these off?”

“Carefully!” Momo snapped as she kneeled by their side. “These are like medical tubes.”

Fujin came to their aid, and they all pulled out the tubes and wires in him. Momo undid some of her bandages and used them to tie up the needle holes left in Desmen’s skin. Eventually, he was free, and he slumped in Seifer and Raijin’s arms.

Meanwhile, one of the Esthar soldiers had snuck up to the door and was listening intently to what was going on inside. Suddenly, he turned around and while pointing to the door said, “We’ve got a problem. They know the shield’s down.” He adjusted his position so that he wasn’t visible through the tiny crack between the doors. “Caraway’s not announcing it, of course, but I could hear some of the men whispering about it as they walked by.”

“Figures,” Momo muttered as got to her feet. “They would be total morons if they weren’t keeping an eye on the shield.”

Seifer motioned to the soldiers, all of whom had climbed up the wires and were standing in wait. “Split up and be ready to enter the hall from both sides.”

They saluted him before breaking off into two teams. They exited the room through opposite side doors while Seifer turned to his friends. “Fujin, Raijin, can you get the kid out of here? They’re gonna check in here any minute.”

When Fujin seemed to falter, Momo gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. Meatshield and I can handle this. We’ll tell Taw and Yasu you guys are okay.”

Momo deftly stepped out of the way before Seifer could smack her with the blunt end of Hyperion. She snickered as he glowered at her. He would have his revenge, he swore to himself. Just not _now._

Raijin and Fujin glanced at each other before nodding in assent. Raijin lifted up Desmen and (carefully) threw him over his shoulder. With a final look over their shoulders, the two former members of the Disciplinary Committee climbed back down the access hole.

Seifer watched as they disappeared from sight before shouldering Hyperion. He began shifting his weight between his feet, unable to get rid of the strange agitation that had settled over him. He ran a hand through his hair as he glanced towards the door. He felt cornered, trapped, like an animal surrounded from all sides. Maybe it was because he knew they were minutes, if not seconds away from being discovered and he really, _really_ did not know how this was going to turn out.

This wasn’t some situation where he could just go in and charge like he usually would. If he died, his son died with him. He couldn’t just ignore that fact, but unfortunately, bearing that in mind prevented him from handling this his way.

The sound of something falling over caught his attention. Mentally cursing himself for spacing out, he looked around until he noticed Momo was no longer standing next to him, but instead was inside the containment chamber. She had sliced through the plastic and was now standing where Desmen had been.

“The hell are you doing?” Seifer asked with a furrowed brow.

Momo sat down inside the chamber, seemingly unfazed by where she was. “Just poking around. You know, I wonder how they brought this here. This isn’t something Esthar would have handed over.”

Seifer crossed his arms, all the while never letting go of his gunblade. His initial guess was that they had stolen the chamber. But how did one go about that, exactly, and without Esthar noticing? It was too impractical and difficult.

“They built it then,” Seifer concluded as he stared at the enormous machine. He scowled as he flashbacked to the day when he had thrown Rinoa at Adel’s chamber. Where once he had thrown a girl who he had liked – maybe even loved – at a tyrannical sorceress, now two years (or perhaps more correctly, twenty-six years) later, he had just broken the same girl’s son out of a similar chamber.

There was irony somewhere in that realization, but he had little time to ponder over it as one of the double doors that led to the chamber began to open.

“Uh oh,” Momo murmured from her seat. “We’re about to be busted.”

Not that it mattered. Seifer still felt nervous, but he knew there was little chance of these Galbadian idiots reclaiming Desmen. It was really more a matter of how he and She-Dincht were going to get out of this mess.

As if sensing his thoughts, Momo added, “Don’t worry. I got a plan. Plus, we’ve got permission to do this, so Caraway’s hands are tied.”

Then there was that, too. Seifer smirked as he anticipated Caraway’s reaction. The old General was in for a nasty surprise. “Bring it on.”

Momo leapt out of the chamber and pulled out one of her chakrams. She threw back her arm as far and hard as she could before she hurled the chakram at the doors. It burst through the doors, forcing them open before it slammed into the conference table, right next to where Caraway was sitting.

He and his men immediately got to their feet as they turned towards the double doors.

Momo and Seifer walked in, side by side. He kept his gunblade at his side while she kept her remaining chakram in her hand. Almost laughing, she looked up at him and asked, “Any ‘I’m about to kick your ass’ one-liners come to mind?”

 _She would think of that, wouldn’t she?_ Seifer grinned, resigned to the fact that this girl – Zell’s daughter, of all people – had earned his begrudging respect. “The line, ‘Surprise, fuckers’ comes to mind.”

“Sounds good to me.” She turned back to the room and shouted cheerfully, “Surprise, fuckers!”


	10. Checkmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other problem with leaving people only almost for dead: Limit Breaks.

There were several blank stares and dropped jaws as Momo stuck her tongue out at Caraway. “By the way, thanks for leaving us to die back in Centra,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“It’s not like Galbadia is known for its competency,” Seifer commented, earning several sharp glares from the soldiers. “They can’t even kill people properly.”

“Stupid jerks,” Momo mumbled under her breath as she glanced at all the computer screens. Her gaze rested on the cam connected to the Alpha, and her eyes widened when she saw Michi begin to cry. “M – Mich! I’m okay, really!”

 “I know.” Michi leaned into view, and she gave her sister a watery smile. “I’m just so glad you’re alive.”

“Of course I am,” Momo said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She then leaned over to get a better look at the cam. “By the way… Yasu, Taw, your parents are okay! They’re taking Desy out of here!”

“Yeah, about that…” Seifer said to Caraway as he jabbed a thumb at the empty containment chamber. “There’s your problem with the shield. Kind of sucks when you lose your source of power.”

Inevitably, his eyes fell on the cam connected to the Alpha. Gathered around were some familiar faces, which Seifer was glad to see were unharmed, although he would never admit it. There were also some very unfamiliar faces. From the right corner of the cam, he could see a mop of silver hair that framed a face with a set of green eyes: carbon copies of his own.

 _That’s him,_ Seifer thought as he nodded to the camera. _That’s the kid I saw in that vision or whatever it was._

Momo giggled and waved to the Esthar cam. “Hey, Laguna! We made it!”

He waved back to her. “Good job!” he added with a thumbs up. “Thanks for helping her, Seifer.”

“You son of a bitch!” Caraway roared. His face turned bright red, but then he smiled when he suddenly realized, “You sent a team to rescue him. This is an act of war!”

“Actually, it’s not,” a female voice said from the Esthar cam. “Because I ordered this.”

Caraway’s eyes widened, and he stood rooted to the spot in shock. He slowly swiveled his gaze towards the Esthar cam. “That’s…”

Behind Laguna, who had scooted out of the way, the supposedly dead President of Galbadia tilted her head to the side as she regarded the General, her eyes calculating but calm. “Caraway. What a pleasant surprise.”

“Natalie,” Caraway choked out. “You were executed!”

President Armstrong shook her head. “No. Lieutenant General Rye _told_ you I was, that’s all. I got out of Deling City before your men could get me.” She cast a glance at Rye, who was slowly backing away. “Someone obviously was more concerned about his covering his tracks than furthering your plans.”

“Arrest him!” Caraway shouted at the guards, “And find Desmen!”

There were shouts of worry and panic from Timber and the Alpha. “Momo, get out of there!” Michi yelled.

Despite the chaos, Armstrong looked calm as she glanced at Momo and Seifer. “Can you handle this?”

“Piece of cake,” Momo said. She pointed to the Alpha’s cam. “Sorry, Michi! I’ll be fine, I promise. Everyone else, rendezvous in Esthar! I’ll see you there.” Her eyes then shifted to the Timber cam. “And President Delita! We owe you one!” After giving Delita a wink, Momo began stepping towards the soldiers who were beginning to assemble.

Seifer glanced at her. “The hell are you doing?”

Momo stopped just feet from the conference table and crossed her arms in front of her. Beams of yellow and gold light shot out from her. “Back up, Seifer. You don’t wanna get caught in this,” Momo said in a low voice. “This is one of my better Limit Breaks, so please.”

He slowly stepped back into the other room, eyeing Momo warily the whole way.

“Caraway,” Momo said, her whole body now glowing gold. “This one’s for Desmen.”

She ran towards the table and jumped. She landed on the edge, grabbed her other chakram, and then used it to flip backwards. Her body hovered in mid-air for a few moments before it began to gleam a metallic sheen. Every electronic device and machine, including the computers and web cameras, in the room suddenly began to shake and shatter. Pieces broke off of them, and as they did, they began to swirl about Momo.

She lifted up her eyes and murmured, “Deus Ex Machina.”

Then, her chakrams spun out, and like two Grendels let loose, they zoomed around the room everywhere. The machine parts and pieces followed them around like comet tails. Seifer leapt out of the way at this point, ducking into the containment chamber room as the chakrams tore apart the main hall.

When the whirlwinds ended, and Momo lowered to the ground, the entire room was in disarray. The other soldiers finally came in from both sides, but everyone in the room was already down for the count. Momo staggered over to where Caraway was and lowered her chakram against his neck. He was still breathing despite the gashes all along his body, and he glared at her with what strength he had left.

“You’re toast,” Momo said.

~*~

“I…” R.J shook his head as he stared at the snowy screen, their connection broken thanks to Momo’s attack. “I can’t believe it. Laguna and Delita actually pulled off something like that. And Momo…”

“The fuck happened?” Zell asked, his tone betraying his worry and confusion.

Michi said, “Deus Ex Machina, no doubt. It’s one of Momo’s Limit Breaks. It’s sort of a special-situation one, but the set up in the assembly hall made it perfect for her to use it.”

Zell gave his oldest a questioning glance. “And it involves breaking computers?”

“Sort of,” she said. “Deus Ex Machina makes an enormous magnetic force around Momo, and anything metal, typically electronics and machine parts, will gravitate towards her.”

Bianca continued, “And then she sends her chakrams flying and the machine bits follow them. They basically turn into huge spinning blades made of sharp metal pieces that go in every direction known to man.” She paused, and then added, “It’s pretty nasty, actually.”

“Damn,” Zell said. “That place must be trashed now.”

“It would have been trashed even if she didn’t use it,” Alin commented. “The Galbadians would have put up a hell of a fight if she didn’t one-shot them.”

Radovan nodded with a pride-filled smile. “That’s my lil’ niece, getting things done like a true Centran. Now,” He cracked his knuckles, “we need to get our asses to Esthar.”

“We’re finally getting there,” Irvine murmured with a shake of his head, “granted, we took a few detours.”

“Everyone, get to your stations!” Radovan bellowed, and many of the clansmen scrambled around. “We got a long haul ahead. Get the Beta and Theta in gear and make sure they’re up to date!”

As ordered chaos ensued around them, Yasu reached a hand towards Rinoa and Squall. “He’ll be all right,” he assured them. “He’s out of there now. If Mom and Dad have him then he’ll be fine. Once he gets to Esthar, Dr. Odine will take care of him.”

Squall gave him a “what-the-hell-are-you-thinking” glare. “The words ‘care’ and ‘Odine’ do not belong in the same sentence.”

“Just because Odine’s an inhumane jerk,” Taw said, “doesn’t mean he won’t be able to get Desmen back on his feet. He has no bedside manners, but Odine knows better than to try anything, not with Laguna breathing down his neck.”

Rinoa clutched the rings hanging on her necklace tightly. “This shouldn’t have happened,” she said in a low voice. “Why did this happen?” Her head fell forward, with her hair covering most of her face in shadows. “Why did Caraway turn against Desmen like that?”

Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, and Zell stood and stared at Rinoa. Quistis shook her head, at a loss as to what to say. “Rinoa…”

“He didn’t,” Alin said with a tone of conviction. “And I wish I knew why Caraway did this. I really did.”

A sob broke out of Rinoa. Squally immediately circled around her and bent down to her height. “Rin.”

“Was it because of me?” she asked, trying to control her sobs. Now that her son was safe and the adrenaline from the anger was dying, her worries and doubts were beginning to surface. “Was this because of what _I_ did?”

“No!” Bianca insisted, hurrying to her side as Rinoa buried her face into Squall’s chest. “He and Desmen haven’t had a good relationship in a few years. It’s got nothing to do with you or anything you did!”

Radovan turned to Squall and told him quite bluntly, “Get her to bed. Next level up, there are bedrooms. The kids will show you.”

Michi nodded in assent. “Uncle’s right. All of this, everything that’s transpired, has all been within less than 48 hours. We’re all exhausted and emotionally drained.”

When Rinoa looked ready to put up a fight, Alin quietly added, “Think of it this way. When you wake up, you’ll be in Esthar and you’ll get to see him without the dreaded waiting.”

Rinoa, finally realizing the benefit in sleep, nodded and let Squall lift her up in his arms. Yasu and Taw led the way, with everyone including Squall following, Rinoa in tow.

On their way to the second level, Quistis said, “Desmen and Caraway haven’t had a good relationship for some time?”

“It’s true,” Lamis said. “They used to get along pretty okay, up until about… oh, what was it? Two years ago? Then some trouble came up in Galbadia, and he didn’t hear from Caraway for awhile.” She frowned thoughtfully, and seemed to be reminiscing as she recalled what happened. “When he did make contact, Caraway was acting cold towards him. After another couple tries, Desmen gave up and hadn’t talked to him since then.”

“He was always terrible at maintaining relationships,” Rinoa muttered as she leaned her head against Squall’s shoulder.

Quistis looked down at the floor, watching as her boots treaded over the deep brown carpet. “I understand that, but to go this far and capture him to use him for war?”

“That’s what we don’t get either,” her daughter admitted. “No one except Caraway, I guess, knows why.”

“We’ll find out in enough time,” Alin said. “Right now, let’s just focus on Desmen’s recovery.” He pointed his finger into his palm for emphasis. “There’ll be enough time to get an explanation later.”

Michi paused momentarily, enough to make her lag behind for a bit. Something seemed to bother her for a moment before she realized she was falling behind. When she caught up, she said, “How are they getting Desmen to Esthar?”

“Train, I’m thinking,” Irvine suggested. “Dunno how else they would have gotten into the city.”

“Then they’ll be heading for Fishermen’s Horizon, right?” She contemplated it, and then shrugged. “I’m too tired to think. I just hope everything will be all right.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “At least Momo is safe. I wonder how she’s doing right now.”

~*~

Seifer kneeled down next to the spot on the train car floor where Momo was currently passed out from exhaustion. “She’s out cold,” he said.

To his left, on the other side of the car, was a deep green couch that was built into the wall. Desmen laid there on a makeshift bed of pillows and blankets. With no infirmary on board, it was the most comfortable place they could put him.

“And so’s he,” Seifer added.

Fujin and Raijin were also asleep on the couch and on the floor, respectively. Seifer was the only one conscious in the car.

Seifer sat down and let his head rest against the wall opposite the sofa. He stretched his legs out the length of the car (it wasn’t very wide) and propped them against the foot of the couch. Hyperion rested near his side, right next to Momo.

Alone with his thoughts, Seifer studied Desmen, and the minute movements the motion of the train that made his otherwise still body move. His head was leaning at an angle, placed right on top of a soft white pillow. It made his dark hair, a definite inheritance from Rinoa, stand out in stark contrast. He looked a little pale, probably from the stress his body was put under, and he seemed so weak and helpless, with his arm hanging off the side and his face so calm and serene.

Seifer banged his head lightly against the wall. Aside from Rinoa’s hair, he definitely resembled Squall in terms of appearance: angular cheekbones, soft but sturdy jaw, the mess of hair, and his eyes, of course. But, personality wise, he reminded Seifer so much of Rinoa.

 _I can’t say I hate the kid. Sure, he looks like our dear Commander,_ Even in his mind, sarcasm leaked into Seifer’s voice, _but he’s so much like Rinoa._ He tilted his head to the side. _Once I got over the shock of being in the future and having kids running around, I realized that I… I’m okay with his existence. Squall and Rinoa have a child. I’m not angry about it. I thought I would be, though._

Two years had gone by, for him, since the whole Ultimecia disaster ended. For awhile, he had held onto the notion that he would be able to go back to his old life, repair things, and get Rinoa back. The silly idea didn’t last long, luckily. In a matter of days, Seifer had finally understood the gravity of what he had done and knew there was no going back. No SeeDship, no return to Garden, and no Rinoa.

Suddenly, he was faced with a very nasty, if not ironic, reality. Squall had everything he had ever wanted: hero status, respect, a high position, glory, strength, and above all, Rinoa.

It had consumed Seifer’s thoughts, and to put it bluntly, he was jealous. He wanted to hate Squall for everything and everyone he had. Hate him for being a hero, for taking him down. Hate him for being the one to hold Rinoa at night, for being her _knight._

When had that stopped? Seifer crossed his arms, his head bowed in thought. Sure, at Garden he had been polite enough to Squall, though only because of his position as a knight. He knew better than to mess with that. But that didn’t make him hate Squall any less.

He remembered how his hand had been around Desmen’s throat when he learned about his lineage. He bore the pendant he resented, the one still hanging in his pocket.

 _“You also have a son who became a SeeD.”_

That may have been when. Just hearing about his son calmed him down enough to get his thoughts in rational order. It may not have been a son with Rinoa, but that didn’t make him any less worthy of a son. Maybe it was the fact that his son wouldn’t have existed if he hadn’t screwed things up so majorly two years ago. Somehow, from that mess, something _good_ came from it and that made all the difference.

 _Kevan…_ He remembered the strange vision he had when the G-Soldiers had come for Desmen the second time. The little boy with the silver hair, the one who had inadvertently helped him find the strength he had been lacking. The same kid who he had caught a glimpse of on the Alpha cam. It had to be Kevan.

How he knew was beyond his understanding. He wasn’t even totally sure what that vision was. Was it a memory? A sort of not-yet memory, taken from his present self’s consciousness and passed to him, along with Hyperion?

Seifer slapped his forehead. _I’m really damn tired if I’m going into sci-fi territory. But what other explanation is there?_

He looked back towards Desmen. “I hope Rinoa doesn’t freak out when she sees you like this,” he said. “I wouldn’t blame her, but I am way too damn tired to deal with people breaking down right now.”

Smirking, he pushed his foot against Desmen’s free arm. “Wake the hell up. You’ve got too many people worrying about you. Tch,” He rolled his eyes. “you’re probably like Commander Puberty in that respect. When you go down, it’s dramatic and e-very-one worries, right?” He tilted his head the other way, considering the sleeping boy for a moment longer. “You need to wake up,” he repeated as his eyes began to close of their own volition. He murmured, “Gotta give this pendant…back,” before finally falling into sleep.

~*~

There were loud voices swarming around her. Her head buzzed, and she fought to fall back to sleep.

“Momo,” a voice addressed her.

“Mmph!” she complained wordlessly.

She could sense movement around her. People coming in and about, right next to the couch where-

“Desmen!” Her eyes snapped open, and her head flew forward. It collided with Laguna’s, and both girl and elder leaned back in opposite directions, rubbing their foreheads.

“Hard-head,” Laguna teased with a wince. “Desmen’s okay. He was just loaded onto a gurney, and now he’s being taken to the private infirmary in the Palace.”

She nodded, and shakily stood up on her legs.

Laguna steadied her before leading her out of the car. “Seifer, Fujin and Raijin are going to be led inside a different way. We want to expose them as little as necessary.”

“‘Kay,” Momo said. She hobbled along with Laguna on her shaky legs. Her entire body ached, even in places she thought weren’t possible. They exited the train, and her eyes squinted in the rising sun. “How early is it?”

“Almost six in the morning,” Laguna said, leading her past the on-lookers and reporters wanting to hear about the grand rescue in Deling City as they walked through the train station. Esthar soldiers formed a tight circle around them. They pushed through the crowds and were escorted into a private car.

Momo sighed in relief as the doors closed and the car took off. It circled around in the air, and then headed for the Presidential Palace. “Is Desmen gonna be okay?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Laguna answered honestly. “But I have Odine making it his sole mission to find out.”

Momo looked down at the plush carpet lining the car floor. Her ratty boots dug into it, and her toes curled in anticipation. “I hope he’ll be okay.”

The car ride passed in waves of conscious and unconsciousness for her. Her head was against the window the whole time as her eyes drifted open and close. When the car parked in the garage, she was led, half-stumbling on her feet, towards the interior of the Palace. Momo knew from memory that in the inner parts of the residential home were the private bedrooms and bathrooms.

In a proverbial blink of an eye, Momo was staring into a smaller but cozy bedroom. It was vibrantly colored, and some of her things were already inside waiting. She smiled, knowing that this was the room she had always used when she and the others slept over at the Palace as kids.

“Thanks, Laguna. Wake me up when the others… get here and when… Desy…” She shuffled, and then stumbled onto the bed. “wakes up, ‘kay?” She never heard an answer before finally drifting to sleep.


	11. Together at last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long struggle and a desperado rescue, everyone finally reunites (or meets) in Esthar. Hugs, chatter and some bickering ensue.

More screaming. More yelling. But this time, Rinoa knew whose voices they were. She was running towards the group again, their faces now distinct and clear in the diluted darkness.

She reached out towards the children as she ran, fighting to get to them. She called out each of their names, wanting to hear their voices and know that they were safe.

When she reached them, her arms circled around them as much as they could. She pulled them towards her, murmuring wordless assurances. They seemed smaller somehow, like little children as opposed the young adults they were.

Then _he_ came. Emerged from the darkness, his stare piercing through her, even though she could see almost nothing of his features, all contained in that simple, tattered cloak. Undeterred, Rinoa stepped around the kids and held out her arms. “I won’t let you get near them!”

“Your interference is getting annoying. Sorceress or not, I will not let you stand in my way.”

The same figure from the last dream rushed past her. Rinoa’s eyes widened, and the gleam of Griever was the only light in the otherwise shadowy landscape. “No…”

The cloaked man narrowed his eyes and began to cast a spell. “You of all people should understand!” he shouted.

Desmen stood in front of Rinoa and shielded her. “No,” he retorted, “ _you’re_ the one who doesn’t understand.”

Confused by their exchange, but more concerned about Desmen’s safety, Rinoa reached out to him and shouted, “No, Desmen!”

It was enough to jolt her from sleep. That, and Squall’s comforting arms and soothing voice brought her back to reality.

Her nose would have scrunched from how much she was sweating if she wasn’t still terrified out of her mind. Squall’s hand ran through her hair, ignoring the sticky sweat. “Rinoa.”

“I – I’m okay,” she said after a few moments of shaky breathing. “What time is it?”

She felt his head shift, and then he said, “It’s 10:30.”

Rinoa was tired still, but she could function on what sleep she had gotten. There would be time to rest later, after her worries were pacified. “I want to see him.”

There was no need for explanation. “Was that what your dream was about?” Squall asked. “You were screaming his name when you woke up.” She felt his embrace tighten; she could feel in him the same fear that she had.

“It was the same as the last dream. That man was there, and the group of people I saw? It was the kids. I could see their faces for the first time. When I went to protect them, Desmen-” Everything inside of her tightened at the memory of him running up and shielding her. “Desmen was the one who went to protect me.”

Her knight remained silent for a minute. She didn’t mind the quiet, really; it gave her time to compose herself and get her mind back in order. His breathing helped calm her. She looked up at him and saw his brow pinched in concentration. There was something else in his eyes that betrayed what he was trying to hide: concern. Concern for their son, and for what these dreams might mean for him.

But her knight was one to rarely display his fear in front of her. “Let’s see if everyone else is up,” he said instead of voicing his thoughts, “and then we’ll go and see him.”

Rinoa gave him a grateful smile, and a peck on the lips. “Thank you.”

“I wanna see him, too. I think we’ll both feel better once we know he’s all right.”

She stared at him thoughtfully, trying not to betray the anxiety she felt. “Will he be okay?”

“I don’t know,” Squall answered honestly. His eyes saddened; she could tell he wanted to assure her he would be fine with the utmost of confidence. Not just assure her, but also himself. “I think we all are asking that. Unfortunately, there’s only one really annoying doctor who can answer that.”

~*~

After getting showered and ready, the pair met the others in the dining hall. Although looking much more rested up, everyone held expressions of worry, anxiety, pensiveness, or uncertainty.

“Eat up,” Radovan told them as they walked in. He pointed to the buffet table laid out. “We all got a long damn day ahead. Bad enough we ain’t running on the proper amount of sleep.”

“Is he always this much of a health nut?” Irvine whispered to Alin. They sat side by side on one of the long benches that spanned the room. Selphie and Bianca sat across from them, eyeing their breakfast.

“I wouldn’t call him that,” Alin said before he shoveled some eggs into his mouth. “Just being a good leader and making sure his people are all right. This is the man who is known to have consumed the largest portion of fried chicken in one sitting.”

“Hey,” Radovan said, “I’m damn proud of that record!”

Michi smiled patronizingly at her uncle. “Of course you are.”

Once everyone was full on eggs, toast, and fried rice with baked bread crumbs (a Centran dish), Bianca got to her feet and curled her index finger at Alin. “You’re coming with me.”

He glanced incredulously at his sister. “Where?”

She smiled secretively. “You’ll see. Hey, everyone, Alin and I will meet you in the infirmary later. We’re gonna make a detour to the Esthar shopping center.”

“This isn’t really the time for a shopping spree…” Taw said hesitantly, glancing up from his empty plate.

Bianca kicked him in the shin with her knee-high boots. “What do you take me for?”

“Ow!” he snapped as he grabbed at his injury.

Alin rolled his eyes and strolled over to his sister. “I take it we’re going to Deidra’s?”

“Where else?” she said with a grin. She waved to the others. “See you there!” She did a dramatic spin before marching out the door, her brown skirt swaying side to side. Alin chuckled and followed her out.

Quistis glanced at Lamis, who was sitting next to her along with Michi and Zell. “Deidra’s?”

“You will find out. I wouldn’t want to ruin Bianca’s suspense.” Lamis smiled innocently when Quistis glared playfully at her. “It’s not some top secret thing, though I hope she doesn’t pass by Rockerford’s Everything Alien shop on the way there.”

“Is she really taken with PuPu?” Selphie asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

Yasu cleared his throat and said, “Well, let us just say Alin wasn’t entirely kidding when he made that comment about the shrine.”

Rinoa nearly spat out the rest of her rice.

Yasu smiled from his spot next to her. “Sorry. Bad timing.”

It was interesting, Rinoa thought as she waved off his apology. The whole time, Yasu, Taw, and Kevan seemed to gravitate towards her and Squall. Their parents weren’t there, and since her son wasn’t there either, it seemed they all sort of adopted each other until they were brought together with their missing counterpart. It was almost like a surrogate parent-child system.

She looked over at Squall, who was methodically chewing on his eggs. Though she wanted to see Yasu and Taw brought to their parents, and she was definitely looking forward to Seifer’s reaction to Kevan, it was Squall’s potential response to Desmen that she was most keen to see. Parenthood wasn’t a topic frequently discussed between them. Actually, she wasn’t sure if the subject was ever brought up in any of their discussions. So really, she had no educated guess as to how he was going to react.

She glanced towards the others and saw they were finishing up. “Are we getting ready to leave?”

Michi nodded to her. “Looks like it.”

 _Good,_ Rinoa thought. With food in her stomach and the day ahead of them, she was more than ready to see Desmen.

It must have been obvious she was impatient (perhaps from her constant drumming of her fingers) because everyone suddenly got their plates put away fast and were hurrying out the door.

Before she knew it, her hand was in Squall’s and they were heading for the exit. She squeezed his hand tightly and braced herself for the part meeting, part reunion ahead.

~*~

Meanwhile, Momo was stretched out on an armchair in a recovery room, waiting for Odine and his assistants to bring Desmen in. Her hair was a little more plain than normal; she had it in a simple ponytail, and her bangs were held to the side of her face with clips. She was still in the same clothes as yesterday, which normally would have grossed her out but, one, they had been washed and two, she had bigger concerns on her mind.

She looked up at the wall clock behind her. _They’re taking forever._

There was a soft knock on the door. Fujin stood in the doorway when Momo looked up. “Momo.”

“Hey. What’s up?”

Fujin jerked her head towards the hall. “They’re moving Desmen to another room. They showed me where it is. Come on.”

Momo lifted her feet off the table and slipped them into her shoes. She hurried after Fujin, her hands shoved into her pockets as she was led through the small but well-equipped infirmary.

Fujin suddenly made a sharp right, and Momo was forced to a halt and back up a few steps. She stepped inside the room, and her brow went up. “Kinda big for one person.”

“It’s designed that way.” One of Odine’s assistants stepped forward, dressed in traditional Estharian robes. “This is the Presidential Suite. It was made to accommodate a large amount of people, so if the President was ever hospitalized but needed to hold a meeting, he could do so here.”

“And Laguna requested Desmen to be put here?” she asked.

“Of course. Ze best for his grandson, as always.” Dr. Odine stepped into the room next to Momo, dressed in his usual strange attire. “Zat, and zere will be a lot of people coming to zee him. He did not vant all of zem to be stuffed into a tiny room.”

Momo nodded to the doctor. “Dr. Odine,” she greeted. “It’s been awhile.”

“Hmph, indeed.” He gave her a look over. “I zee you still dress like some rainbow pixie.”

“I see you still dress like a clown.”

“Coming in!” a nurse shouted.

Momo, Fujin and Dr. Odine backed out of the way as a few nurses and Odine’s assistants wheeled Desmen in on a bed.

“Desy,” Momo murmured as they settled the bed in the spot next to the nightstand and machines. “How is he?”

“His parents and ze others will be here soon. I will explain his prognosis and status then.” Odine clasped his hands behind his back. “But, I can zay his condition is stable. He vill not be dying.”

Momo sighed in relief. “All I need to know for now.” She walked over and sat down next to Desmen, holding his hand in hers. “Hang in there.”

“There you are.”

Momo blinked and looked over at the entrance. Seifer and Raijin walked inside, the former ignoring Odine as the latter waved to him. Fujin then joined them as they headed over towards the bed, sticking close together.

“How is he?” Raijin asked.

“Dr. Odine says he’s not gonna die or anything, but he won’t spill details until everyone is here.”

Seifer rolled his eyes and glared down at the tiny doctor. “Why the hell not?”

“Vat do you mean, ‘why not?’ I am not repeating myself twice!” Odine said, waving his arms impatiently.

Seifer leaned back on the balls of his feet, and Momo wondered for a moment if he was going to kick the doctor across the room like a soccer ball. “Lazy ass” was all he offered instead. She found herself a little disappointed.

“Why, you-”

“Dr. Odine?” A female assistant peered her head in. “They’re here.”

The doctor sniffed contemptuously. “Zere. See, you impatient boy? Soon enough.”

Seifer glowered after him as he waddled out of the room to go greet the newcomers. “If I have to spend a lot of time with him, there are going to be problems. Like him being skewered to the wall.”

Momo giggled. “Everyone wants to do that to him. Luckily, he’s usually cooped up with his experiments. Hopefully, once Desy is better, he’ll be leaving his care up to his assistants and just check in.” She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. “Even then, he’ll only do that because Laguna’ll want him to.”

Seifer nodded and leaned against the wall near where the door was. Fujin sat on the edge of the table on the far side of the room, and Raijin plopped into a visitor’s chair.

Momo looked back at Desmen. Her eyes saddened as his head lay limply on top of the white pillow. He didn’t look much better than he did on the train, and the blank white sheets on his bed only accented his features more. Momo traced a finger down the side of his chin. She felt some stubble. “Desy,” she said, “you have to wake up. You need to shave,” she teased lightly.

“He’s old enough to shave?” Seifer teased with a smirk.

Momo sent him a sharp glare, although her eyes betrayed her amusement, if only because she knew he was kidding. “He’s 20 years old, for your information. _Your_ age.”

“That’s just weird,” the gunblader said with a shake of his head.

“Tell me about it,” Momo said, agreeing with him for once. “So I probably shouldn’t add this, but your son’s 21.”

She almost laughed at Seifer’s deadpan expression. “My son is _older_ than me?”

“Right now, yes.” Momo shrugged helplessly. “It’s time travel, dude.”

“And here we are.”

Her head snapped up, and her gaze went directly to the doorway. She slowly sat up as both generations of families walked into the room. She then caught a familiar cascade of blonde hair, and immediately her eyes softened as they met her sister’s. “Michi?”

“Momo!” Michi pushed through the others and sprinted right for her sister. The youngest barely had time to react before Michi’s arms were around her. “Thank goodness,” she said with a sob.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” Seifer said with a smirk as he looked over at Squall and the others.

“We could say the same.” Quistis said, throwing her hands in the air. “At least we finally found you.”

Lamis pushed forward, embracing Momo and Michi in one big bear hug. “Good to know you’re safe, kid,” she said to Momo.

Yasu and Taw exchanged nervous looks. Resolute, they turned towards their parents. Fujin hopped off the table and went to them. Her boys looked at each other again, unsure of what she was going to do.

She stood in front of them for a moment, staring at them before her arms came around and pulled them close. “I was worried,” she said.

Raijin grinned. “Look at ‘em, Fujin!” he said excitedly. “They look like us, ya know?”

Taw bit back a laugh. “Yeah, we do. It’s called genetics.”

Fujin gave him a light smack over the head. “No sarcasm.”

“But-”

“Don’t argue with me. Different time does not mean my word means nothing.” She gave both boys a warning glare.

“Y – Yeah.” Raijin nodded his head, trying to look stern. “D – Don’t argue with her, ya know?”

Taw was about to disagree when he caught Kevan and Seifer staring at each other. He nudged Yasu, and then jerked his head towards them.

Before Seifer stood Kevan, the son he had been anticipating meeting ever since he first knew of him. After a long moment of taking in the man before him, Seifer uncrossed his arms and smiled in satisfaction. “Well,” he said, “at least you got my good looks. That’s a start.”

“Oh, for the love of…” Quistis smacked her forehead.

Seifer chuckled wryly, and grinned wider when Kevan laughed.

Remembering where they were and why, he turned around and looked at Desmen. His smile fell when he saw Rinoa standing at his side. During the reunions and the joking, she had made her way towards him. Squall stood next to her, and they both looked down at the unconscious child. “Rinoa…”

She turned. Tears were forming in the corner of her eyes. “Thank you, Seifer. So much,” she said. “For coming after him. Fujin, Raijin,” she said to them, smiling. “You too, and…” Her eyes fell to Momo. “Momo. Especially you.”

Momo took Rinoa’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I did what I wanted to do, and what I knew needed to be done.” Suddenly, her eyes narrowed, but they went for Odine. “Prognosis, man. The ‘rents are here.”

He heaved out a sigh. “Very well.” Odine nodded at Desmen. “As you saw, Desmen was put into a containment chamber zimilar to ze one Adel was in. Galbadia got zeir hands on advanced technology. Who supplied zem with it, I cannot say for sure.” He shrugged. “Vhatever it was, zat generator was able to take Desmen’s powers and convert it into energy, which vas zen projected as a magical shield.”

“That sounds about right,” Momo said with a nod. “I scanned the generator myself. It’s certainly not something you can get anywhere, if it wasn’t custom-made.” She heaved out a sigh as she continued, “It was mad powerful. It was _sucking_ Desy’s energy, and pretty fast.”

“She is correct.” Odine reclaimed the discussion as he added, “Zat fool of a man, Caraway, seemed to be under ze impression zat Desmen’s magic is limitless. Idiot!” Odine stamped his feet. “It is not true! Idiot did not bother to try and get what information I have about Desmen’s powers, so he put his life into unnecessary jeopardy.”

Odine glanced away towards the far wall. “It is a very good zing zat ze team arrived when zey did.”

“Why?” Rinoa asked quietly. Squall said nothing, only listening intently.

“If zey had not, or if zey had arrived maybe… three hours later?” Odine shook his head solemnly. “Ze generator would have taken everything of Desmen’s magic and would have sucked away at his life. He would have been dead in about three hours.”

Seifer gritted his teeth, and out of pure anger pounded his fist into the wall. Momo inhaled sharply, wincing as the realization weighed on her. Fujin and Raijin traded angered looks.

Rinoa leaned closer to her son and held her hand in his. “Oh my God,” she murmured as her fingers tightened their grip. “He would have died…”

Squall glared sharply at Odine, although the fury was not aimed at him. It was a good thing that he had no access to Caraway. Otherwise, there was no telling what he would have done to the aged General. “Three hours… would Caraway have known if he was dying?”

“It wouldn’t have mattered.” Odine huffed. “If Desmen could no longer support zat shield, Caraway would have found him useless and have him killed, more zan likely. It is a good zing he is no longer free.”

“Sure as hell,” Lamis agreed. “Where is that two-faced jerk?”

“Zitting away ze hours in the Esthar Prison Facility,” Odine said. “Where he will stay until Armstrong regains control of Galbadia and feels it is safe to bring him back zere for trial.”

Rinoa said, her voice low, “Will Desmen be okay?”

“Do not fret!” Odine insisted. “I am ze best. His condition was not great when he came here. His magic levels were low, but I brought him back around.” He smirked triumphantly, as if it were something only he could have done. Sadly, it was probably true. “He should be fine now. It is a matter of time before he awakens.”

Unable to hide his suspicion, Squall warily eyed the doctor as he asked, “You didn’t try to do anything else while you were ‘bringing him back around,’ did you?”

“What is zat supposed to mean?” Odine demanded.

“It means I know you too well and what you’re capable of doing. If I find out you did anything to him while he was in your care, I will slice you to pieces and feed you to the nearest pack of Toramas.” Squall’s expression showed no sign of amusement or joking.

Knowing this would only lead to an argument, Quistis immediately spoke up, “Thank you, Doctor, for caring for him. Squall’s just worried. We do appreciate what you’ve done.

Odine merely huffed in indignation and said, “If we are done, I must get back to work. My assistants will be on stand-by in case something happens. I doubt it will, though.” He turned to leave for the door, but then paused. “Oh, yes. I want to be notified when he wakes up. I will check on him zen. Call ze nurse when he does, and it will go from zere.” He wobbled out of there without another word.

Momo looked back at Desmen and sighed lightly. “I hope he wakes up soon.”

“He’ll be okay, I’m thinking,” Zell said, sitting next to her and Michi. He glanced back and forth between his daughters, and grinned. “You’re all from tough stock.”

“Hey,” Seifer said. He looked at Kevan in confusion. “Am I nuts, or isn’t there someone missing?”

“Two,” Kevan answered. “The twins went out to Deidra’s.”

“Who?”

Selphie shrugged her shoulders as she walked past them. “They won’t say!”

“You’ll find out!” Lamis reiterated. “I’d tell you, but we’ve come so far now, it’d seem silly to blow it.”

Irvine gave her a half-hearted glare. He adjusted his gloves casually, but it was easy to tell he was just as annoyed as Selphie was. “Too much suspense is a bad thing.”

“No. Bad timing of the suspense is a bad thing,” Lamis said. “Some things require a lot of build up, and some don’t.” She relaxed against the wall. “If you look at this like you would a story, unless there was some immediate plot significance, or I knew Bianca was going to walk in any moment, it would feel all wrong to tell you.”

He gave her a stupefied look. “Uh…”

“That’s our Lamis!” Bianca chimed as she stepped in, followed by Alin. “Always thinking like a writer.”

“Now, see?” Lamis said, holding back laughter and a smile when Irvine nearly jumped out of his skin. “If I knew she was coming, I would have told you.”

Selphie spun around. “You’re back! What did you-” Her sentence broke off, and her eyes widened. She took a step towards Bianca. “What are those boxes?”

Bianca was carrying three pure white boxes, balancing them carefully as she held onto a shopping bag. Alin was also carrying the same exact items as her. They both stepped quickly to the table and with great care set the boxes down. Sighing in relief, Bianca beamed. “Deidra’s is the best bakery in Esthar. It’s Desmen’s favorite.”

Momo clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh! Are those the little cakes Deidra’s specializes in?”

“Not all of them.” Bianca began to open each box, peering at their contents before pushing them off into two separate groups. One group had four boxes in total, while the other had two. “Those four are the special personal cakes Deidra’s makes. I got one of each of Desmen’s favorite kind of cake. The other two are for the rest of us.” She opened the boxes, revealing their contents. “Pies! Apple and creamy caramel.”

Zell gawked at the four boxes set off to the left. “He’s gonna eat all of those?”

Taw also look surprised, although his reason being, “I didn’t know he had favorites. I just thought he ate whatever kind of cake he got his hands on.”

This was answered with a smack over the head by Yasu and a glare, courtesy of Bianca.

“Well, I kinda thought the same thing, too,” Momo admitted.

Seifer was looking rather confused but also quite amused at the same time. “I don’t remember this ever being mentioned on our little hike.”

“Well, it was hard to bring it up between the whining, your snarky comments, and me trying to be encouraging.” Momo adjusted one of her pouches and sunk a little deeper into the well-cushioned visitor’s seat, her frown petulant.

He aimed a frown at her. “Encouraging? Dragging me and Raijin by our collars isn’t _encouraging_. Declaring every single landmark we pass by isn’t _encouraging_ either.” He pointed a finger at her. “No, you were being downright irritating, and I’m sure Commander Junior would agree with me.”

“Would not!” Momo fired back. “Desmen actually likes me, Meatshield-”

“ _Would you fucking stop calling me that?_ ”

“ _You’re_ the one who dubbed yourself that!” Momo argued, sticking out her tongue in triumph.

Seifer threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “What are you, some kind of pathological opportunist?”

Zell shot up from his chair at this point. “Would you back off of her?” he yelled at Seifer. “You’re an adult here!”

Seifer rolled his eyes. “Oh, butt out, Chicken-wuss.”

“She’s my daughter!” Zell said with a slam of his fist into the arm of the chair. “Of course not!”

“Dad,” Kevan snapped before Seifer made another retort.

Seifer looked at his son in exasperation. “I am not letting two Dinchts gang up on me.”

“I don’t care.” His son sent him an irritated glare. “And what is this about a meatshield anyway?”

“Seifer said he was the meatshield,” Momo explained before Seifer could. “We got attacked out in the desert and he said he wasn’t gonna let anything happen because he was the meatshield or something to that effect.”

Where Seifer thought Kevan might be upset because he put himself at risk, he found out that he was quite wrong. Instead, Kevan seemed relieved, even pleased, as he smiled and nodded. “I see. Thanks, Dad.”

“What?” Momo put her hands on her hips. “No! Bad! He’s not allowed to be, even if I like calling him that. Desy and I are perfectly capable of handling ourselves.”

Kevan shook his head in disagreement. “I know you’re capable,” he said when Momo began to look absolutely livid, “but I’m just glad Dad was there to at least to help and protect you. Even if it… didn’t exactly go well.”

“But-”

“Momo.” Michi shook her head at her, and her eyes silently begged her to drop it. “Let him go. He was just worried.”

“What happened out there anyway?” Lamis quickly asked before the subject was pressed further. “You guys were attacked?”

“By the G-Army, yep.” Momo shot Kevan another stern glance before continuing, “They were after Desmen and they ambushed us. We got our butts kicked by an Ultima spell. I mean, even though Seifer tried to grab Desmen when they were taking him away-”

“D’awwww.” Bianca grinned in amusement when Seifer crossed his arms and looked away sullenly. “What? You don’t _want_ us to know you actually gave a crap and tried to help him?”

“It’s the image he’s trying to keep.” Lamis began to laugh as Seifer shifted uncomfortably. She hit the nail right on the head. “God forbid you act like a nice guy.”

“Shut it, uh… fuck. Whose child are you?”

Momo not-so-subtly pointed at Quistis. Seifer slapped his forehead. “Oh great. A Trepe.”

With a flick of her wrist, Lamis sent one of her jutte flying. Seifer barely had time to duck as the pronged dagger stuck into the wall behind him with a resounding thud.

“ _Damn,_ ” Zell murmured in awe.

“Please don’t tell me SeeD is training a ninja squad,” Seifer said half-jokingly as he straightened from his crouching position.

“A ninja!” Taw pumped his fist in the air. “That’d be so cool! Wouldn’t it, Bi?”

“Totally!” Bianca and Selphie exchanged grins at the thought of a secret ninja corps within Garden. “It could be the Super Secret Ninja Squad! And we could train them to use controlled explosives! Bomb wielding ninjas!”

“Way to go, Dad,” Kevan muttered at Seifer as Bianca and Selphie continued clamoring on about how the ninjas could effectively hide the bombs in their “awesome but super tight ninja suits.” They kept going on and on until…

 “What the hell did I wake up to?”

Everyone in the room immediately froze. Lamis snapped her head around, and her eyes lit up as Desmen’s eyes slowly opened. “Why… is everyone talking about ninjas?”

“DESY!” Momo sprawled herself over him, enveloping him in some strange kind of hug. “You’re awake!”

The second generation crowded around his bed. “How are you feeling?” Bianca asked. Alin leaned over her shoulder, smiling as he put a hand on her shoulder.

Desmen patted Momo on the back. “Tired,” he said. “Really drained. How did I…” As if suddenly realizing another presence, he turned to his right and met his mother’s gaze. “Mom?”

 _Mom._ It was so strange being called that, even with all the forewarning she had. Overwhelmed with relief, her eyes began misting over. Momo leaned back as Rinoa took her place, and she held his head to her. “You’re okay…”

He nodded against her shoulder, his dark hair mixing with hers. “Yeah. Somehow.” His eyes drifted up, meeting the pair that they were inherited from. “Dad.”

There was no denying in Squall’s heart that this was his son. Faced with him, a young man who was practically his spitting image, he found himself wanting to back away in confusion. What was he to _make_ of this?

But when he saw Rinoa lean down and hold him to her, and feel how worried she was, he offered his son a rare smile. “You’re finally up.” It was true, even if it was hardly all he wanted to say. He reached over and ruffled Desmen’s hair, relieved to be able to make physical contact with him.

Rinoa pulled back. She stared at Desmen’s eyes, and suddenly, her face broke into a grin. “You do have them!” She bounced excitedly in her seat, and pointed them out to Squall. “See?”

 _She would be excited about that, wouldn’t she?_ Squall nodded, staring into the eyes that were carbon copies of his own. They were the same color and shape and size, but in spite of knowing this, he didn’t feel weird when he looked at them. It just felt… right. “Yeah, I do.”

Desmen looked over Rinoa’s shoulder, his brow furrowed in worry. “Where are Seifer and-”

Fujin and Raijin peered through the swarm of heads, and Kevan stepped out of the way so Seifer was visible. “Right here, C.J,” Seifer said.

Desmen’s shoulders shook in muted laughter. “Good to know you made it out alive.”

Seifer shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not the one who got kidnapped.” He dug into his pocket, and then said before Desmen could fire off a retaliatory remark, “By the way, you dropped this.”

He tossed the pendant, and Desmen caught it between both of his hands. He smiled softly as his hands parted, revealing Griever’s head. “I thought I lost this. Thank you.”

Rinoa’s eyes met Squall’s, and together they shared a knowing, proud smile.

Lamis leaned over to look at it. “I was wondering where that was. Looks like the chain broke there,” she said, pointing to the two links that were snapped.

“At least you didn’t lose the original links. Dad,” Michi looked to Zell, “do you think you can fix that?”

Zell held out his hand. “Lemme try. If I can loop them back together and bend the ends that broke, it might work temporarily.”

Desmen gave him his pendant, and Zell began to try and repair the broken links. “Thanks, Zell. I’ve had that since I was five.”

“That’s right,” Kevan said, crossing his arms. “I remember when you got that. You were raving about it for days.”

Desmen was shaking his head at the memory when his eyes happened to glance over at the table. He froze, and he leaned over to get a better view. “Maybe it’s from the stress or whatever, but am I imagining those boxes?”

Bianca beamed. “Nope! They’re Deidra’s!”

His eyes lit up like Christmas lights. “Really?”

Momo struggled hard to stop a fit of giggling. “Yeah. Those four on the left are for you.”

Bianca opened them up, and Desmen said, “I can smell them. One of them is definitely the chocolate mousse deluxe. You got my favorites?” When she nodded, he said, “I’m sort of surprised anyone knew I have favorites.”

“That seems to be the general consensus,” Bianca said scathingly at the others.

Taw threw his hands in the air. “How the hell were we supposed to know? He just eats anything vaguely resembling cake that’s put in front of him.”

Desmen sent him a sharp glare. Irvine took a step back when he got a good look at his withering stare. “Holy crap. He’s got the Squall-glare!”

“True to form,” Alin said.

Bianca, wisely ignoring them, was already cutting up a slice for him. She pulled out paper plates from one shopping bag, and took out one from the box. She set the piece on it, and handed it to Desmen with a fork. “Alin and I bought them. Figured you’d want one after what happened.”

Desmen took it gleefully, and dug in. “So good,” he mumbled after he stuffed his mouth with a forkful.

“Of all the things to be obsessed about,” Fujin commented. She paused, like a thought struck her, and eyed her sons warily. “Is everyone like this?”

Yasu said, “Let’s see. For Desmen, obviously it’s cake.”

This was emphasized with another delighted groan from Desmen as he ate another forkful.

“Bianca is PuPu, Alin is chocobos, and Lamis loves cats and writing.”

“I wonder how Uichi is doing,” she said mournfully, thinking of her cat back home. “I hope our neighbor is still taking care of her.”

Yasu pointed to Momo. “She loves anything techy, and Mrs. Dincht’s cooking. As in, your mother,” he clarified to Zell.

“Ma’s cooking is the best.” Zell lightly punched Momo’s arm as a strange sort of affectionate gesture. “So that’s good with me.”

Taw chuckled, and scratched his head. “I don’t really have anything, except having a love to cause a ruckus. I don’t think that counts.”

His older brother shook his head. “You like computer games, remember? But anyway, Michi loves Moombas,” This earned a blushing smile from the girl in subject, “and Kevan loves anything related with music,” Yasu finished.

Seifer spared his son a questioning glance. “Virtuoso?”

“A little,” Kevan said, crossing his arms. “I like the piano.”

“Dude,” Taw interjected. “That’s an understatement. You can play anything you get your hands on, and you know how to bellow out the notes.” He nodded proudly. “Did the best adaptation of _Eyes on Me_ I ever heard. Garden Festival gets packed whenever he plays.”

Michi reached over to pat Kevan gently on the arm. “You should play for them sometime, maybe once things settle down.”

“You’re forgetting someone,” Lamis teased Yasu. “You who could probably eat as many tacos as Desmen could cake.”

Yasu glanced up at the ceiling innocently. “Oh, yeah. I suppose that’s true.”

“We’re also forgetting something,” Quistis said with a snap of her fingers. “We’re supposed to call Dr. Odine!”

Desmen glowered into his Styrofoam plate. “Do we have to?”

“Yes,” she said with her hands on her hips. “He saved your life and he told us to notify him.” She pressed the button for the nurse.

Desmen sighed as he stared dejectedly at his plate. “Damn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another long chapter, but at least the action's settled down and I got to shove some characterization/development in here.


	12. Four days later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After four days of recovery and rest, Desmen and Odine muse separately about recent events. A meeting is held, and the hunt is about to begin for answers about the cloaked man who's caused so much damage.

There had been a flurry of activity over the following few days. Visitors were in and out constantly to see Desmen.

Obviously, Laguna had stopped by often to see his grandson. He exclaimed, quite proudly, how the plan was thought up by just him, Kiros, and Ward (“Well, Dr. O helped a _little,”_ he admitted). From there, he was able to move quickly and get everyone and everything together.

“This old man can still move.” Laguna jabbed a thumb into his chest, beaming in triumph. “It helped when I heard some troops found Momo, Seifer, Fujin and Raijin out in the Centran lands. They were getting patched up when I got the notification. Thought they’d want in too, since their butts got kicked and all.”

Momo, who had been sitting in her usual chair, glowered at him. “ _Thanks_ , Laguna. Rub it in, why don’tcha?”

“But you kicked their butts later!” he added hastily. “And it wasn’t your fault and – ow!” He grabbed at his calf. “My leg…” 

 Zone and Watts got there as soon as they could. They (mainly Watts) bawled and hugged Desmen in relief when they saw him awake and healthy. Once calm, they then recounted the going-ons in Timber during the broadcast, and how everyone wanted to charge en masse to Galbadia.

“But we told them you would be upset if we did that, so we didn’t!” Zone added hastily, knowing it would have upset Desmen. “Then President Delita got a call from Laguna, and then he got excited suddenly. Went on about how Laguna had a plan, and Timber could help.” He bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet as he explained, “See, we had a train departing for Deling, which would be the last train they were letting inside the city. We stalled it at our station until Esthar got there and brought Momo and company. We wanted to come, but…”

“We’re too old, apparently, sir,” Watts added with a resigned smile.

Desmen shook his head. “I’m glad you didn’t, though. It could have gotten bad. I’m surprised no one on our side was hurt.”

Both men sighed. “How’d we know you’d say that?” they said in unison.

Edea came on the second day. Her usual collected composure broke a little as she embraced him. Desmen could feel her shaking slightly in relief, and his heart broke. “Grandmother…”

She exhaled heavily, her breathing a little shaky. “I am fine, really. It’s just been a very rough two days.” She pulled back and patted his cheek with a weathered hand. “My first grandchild I ever got to hold… it was hard, knowing you were trapped and there was nothing I could do.” Her body tensed as she sat down on the edge of his bed, even when everyone got up and offered her a seat. “And worrying about Momo and everyone…” Her hands flitted to her lap. “I’m getting too old,” she teased, but Desmen heard the sadness in her tone.

Nida, Xu, and the Centran clan followed in shortly thereafter. Both SeeDs were outwardly relieved to see him doing okay. During their stay, Xu revealed just how she found out about Nyvae’s plans.

Quistis shook her head, but smiled indulgently. “Goodness, Xu. I hope I never become enemies with you.”

And the clan talked about their next move in dealing with the situation. Radovan, sitting next to both of his nieces and much more relaxed now that everyone was together and safe, explained, “We’re waiting for the info that’ll come from Caraway’s interrogation. Then we’ll go from there. Hell, I don’t give a shit if I have to go in there, but _someone’s_ gonna make him talk.”

Those days flew by, filled with visitors. Some were in and out, while his friends and parents were there almost constantly.

He was only ever alone at night when they were booted out, and the infirmary was dark and quiet. Then he was left with his thoughts, and did he ever think a lot in the space of time between lights out and sleep.

The obvious thing that bothered him was Caraway. What, just _what_ had he done to anger his grandfather? To make him think so little of him to the point that he was willing to use his own grandson as a tool of war, even against the people Desmen held closest to his heart? What had he said, or not said? It made Desmen toss and turn at night, tangling his sheets and hitching up his hospital gown.

Then, there were his visitors. Of course, he didn’t mind Laguna coming, or Zone and Watts seeing him, nor Edea. But…

 _“This old man can still move.”_

 _“We’re too old.”_

 _“I’m getting too old.”_

He even recalled Caraway’s almost pure white hair and how much more aged he had looked. Perhaps he wouldn’t have noticed if it hadn’t been within such a short time span, but between that and seeing his parents so young, it made Desmen painfully aware of the ravages of time.

How much longer did his older loved ones have? Well, Zone and Watts would be around for awhile longer; they were his parents’ age. Unless they somehow got themselves foolishly killed, like going for a joyride on their train and derailing it and dying in a blazing inferno. _But then_ , Desmen thought with a roll of his eyes, _they’d like that_.

But what of Edea? Though she was robust and doing well for her age, even the woman who could strike fear into any SeeD was not immortal. Her time would come one day. Still, she had a lot going on in her life, and so many to live for that she would not be going anytime really soon, if she had any say in the matter.

Then there was Laguna. Desmen’s heart clenched. He loved his uncles, and his grandmother, but they were only so in bond, not blood. That didn’t mean he loved them any less, but there was a more natural tug in his heart for his paternal grandfather. Laguna loved life, and he loved his family (both blood and those he ended up calling his own) but Desmen knew that, as the years wore on, Laguna would talk more and more wistfully about Raine.

 _The grandmother I never knew…_ Desmen sighed in his bed on the third night, his thoughts wheeling and circling around his grandpa. _Grandpa has time left, but unlike Grandmother, who still has her husband, Grandpa doesn’t have his partner with him. He hasn’t for awhile, but I guess when you get older, it starts to wear on you._ His eyes were cast skywards. _What if he wants to go and see her? I don’t want him to, not now, but… would I have any right to protest?_

He shook his head, dislodging those thoughts. _I’m over-thinking this. I’ve got much more immediate problems to worry about. Namely, getting my strength back._ He flexed his arm and noticed that it was a lot steadier and stronger than the day before. _Tomorrow, maybe._ It was his last conscious thought before sleep claimed him, but he was resolved to try in the morning.

Dr. Odine leering over him, examining him closely wasn’t a pleasant sight to wake up to. Desmen blinked before asking, “Do you mind?”

“You are finally avake. How do you feel?” he asked, hopping off from the bed frame from which he was standing on.

“Stronger,” Desmen said. “I want to try getting up.”

“Zat is what I thought you’d say. Your magic and strength have returned quickly.” He bobbed his up and down as crossed his arms behind his back. “Very well, I will allow it. Try.”

As Desmen pushed the sheets back and swung his legs over the side, he asked, “Where’s everyone?”

“Zere is a meeting being held today about our next course of action. President Armstrong will be zere, along with President Laguna and ze Centra Clan. If you have enough energy, we will walk up zere. Get dressed, and meet me outside. I will be waiting, but do not push yourself!” he warned before waddling out the door.

Desmen cautiously got to his feet. He smiled in satisfaction when he remained standing and didn’t feel like he was exerting much energy. He walked over to a small closet built in next to the bathroom and opened it to find his clothes piled neatly inside.

After getting dressed, he started walking with a sense of trepidation, bracing himself in case his legs suddenly gave out, and peered outside. “Dr. Odine?”

“Ah! You seem well enough. Let us depart.” The little scientist motioned for him to follow. “Ze meeting is not terribly far from here. You should do fine.”

Desmen was glad, though, that Dr. Odine did not walk terribly fast. Even though they were walking less than a quarter of the Palace’s size, Desmen was already feeling worn out early on. To keep his mind off of his weariness he asked, “You said something about my magic earlier. Is it back to normal?”

Odine nodded. “Yes. It is quite remarkable. Considering ze amount drained and how close to ze limit it vas, ze fact that you have it back this soon was quite unexpected.” Odine shook his head in wonder. “Your powers alvays amazed me. I wish I could have done more, but zen, I do not know how much I could have done.”

Confused, because he knew how badly Odine had wanted to do further research, Desmen said, “What do you mean?”

“You must realize,” Odine gestured with his arms, “you are ze only child we know of zat was born from a sorceress. On top of zat, your parents are a sorceress and her knight. If zat makes a difference, I do not know, but it cannot be ignored. You are quite special.” He paused, and then suddenly stamped his feet. “Which is exactly why we did not vant anyone else knowing about your abilities aside from those who had to, your idiot maternal grandfather included!”

Even just three days ago, Desmen wouldn’t have agreed with him. But after seeing the man Caraway had become, he couldn’t help but agree, even in silence. The only sound he made was the soft clap of his boots on the brightly colored translucent floor.

“The General…” Desmen looked down to the floor, his eyes saddening as he thought back over his childhood, and those few memories that involved his grandfather. “He used to be a good person.”

Maybe it was because of his age, but Odine said something strange, especially coming from him, “I am sure he was. But zen, Ultimecia was probably a good person, once upon a time. And look at what she did!”

He shook his head at the thought. Desmen wondered if he was thinking back to the days of the war waged against her. “From all my years of research, in regards to people, ze only sure prediction I can make of zem is zat zey are unpredictable.”

Desmen was tempted to ask him to elaborate, since it was rare of the scientist to be so philosophical, but Odine said before he had a chance, “Ah! We are here.”

Odine pushed open the doors and nodded to everyone gathered in the room. “I have arrived, and someone here is well enough to be on his feet.”

“Desy!” Momo leapt at him when he came in.

He caught her with a laugh, and spun her around once before setting her down. “Hey.”

“Easy, Momo,” Alin warned mildly. He was sitting next to Irvine and Quistis at the long meeting table. “Don’t tire him out too soon.”

She crossed one leg behind the other and smiled sheepishly. “Oops.” She laughed apologetically. “Sorry!”

Seifer smirked from his corner of the room. “Welcome back, Commander Junior.”

Squall aimed a lethal glare at Seifer, but Desmen amicably replied, “Hey, Meatshield.”

Momo snickered, the back of her hand covering her mouth. “See? It’s not just me. You sealed your fate when you said that.”

Seifer shot her a glare. “I only have so much patience allotted during the day. Don’t make me run out already, She-Dincht.”

Momo ran and then hopped into a rolling chair, and it traveled across the room from the momentum. “Peh.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “I’d totally kick your ass, but I don’t want to damage anything.” She smiled evilly. “I like Kevan too much to do that.”

“Someone’s awful fond of you,” Seifer teased his son.

Interestingly, instead of laughs, a few nervous glances were exchanged between the kids. The parents were obviously confused, and Seifer was about to ask his son just what the big secret was when Laguna chimed in, “Meeting time!”

Desmen took a seat, and he exhaled audibly as Laguna moved to the front of the room. One of the side doors opened, and in walked President Armstrong, slightly haggard but resolved.

“President Armstrong,” Desmen said in surprise.

“Desmen.” She bent her head in greeting. “Glad to see you up and about.”

“How are you-”

Laguna interrupted, “That’s one of the things we’ll be explaining. We’ll also give you pertinent information garnered from Caraway’s interrogation, and our next agenda.”

“Well,” Taw said with a raised brow, “isn’t that obvious? Aren’t we going for this cloaked guy?”

“Who we finally have a name for,” Armstrong added. “but we’ll get to him later. First…” She looked to where Desmen was sitting, and his parents that stood nearby. Her expression saddened as she bowed to them. “I’m so sorry.”

Squall’s eyes narrowed slightly as Rinoa and Desmen jerked back in shock. “For what?” Squall asked.

“Not acting in time.” She straightened up again, but her expression did not change. “I had heard Caraway was looking for Desmen. That, on top of everything else that had been happening in Galbadia at the time-”

Selphie raised her hand, just like she was in class. “Umm, sorry to interrupt, but what’s been happening?”

“I apologize. I keep forgetting about who’s not up to date.” She crossed her arms and began, “The man in the cloak, or the mystery man if you prefer, showed up in Galbadia a week ago. My liaisons told me that he made contact with some of my staff, including Caraway.” Natalie’s eyes became a little distant as she thought back. “Once upon a time, I would have felt safe in knowing that. The Caraway I knew when I first came to office would have never given that kind of man the time of day. However, with his strange behavior the last couple years, I wasn’t so sure.”

“President.” Desmen shifted in his seat and gestured to her. “He was acting oddly around you?”

“Yes.” She brushed aside some of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “To you as well?” When he nodded, she shook her head sadly. “I am so sorry. I wish I could tell you what caused it, but I don’t know either. I don’t know if anyone knows.” She paused, and then said, “Anyway, I began to look into things. My first question about this guy was ‘friend or foe?’ And, well, it didn’t take long for me to ascertain that he was definitely the latter.”

Alin adjusted his glasses. “That’s when it got bad.”

Natalie nodded, and her voice tightened as she said, “I was being watched. I didn’t feel safe anywhere: my home, my office, even on the streets. About two and a half days ago, I heard a snippet of a conversation, something about Desmen and bringing him to Deling City. I immediately endeavored to contact you and your family, but I couldn’t get a hold. From then on out, I didn’t have a single chance to try again.” She lifted her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

Shifting her weight, she continued, “Then the other day was mayhem. Prominent heroes disappearing, blatant threats made at the general assembly, and SeeD’s leaders acting like loons…” Her mouth set into a grim line. “Then I heard about the plan to execute me. It was pure luck. I got out of Deling City as fast as I could, and I escaped here to Esthar, where Laguna was kind enough to take me in.”

Laguna smiled and patted her shoulder. “Bit of a surprise to see Galbadia’s leader on my doorstep, asking for shelter and assistance. Then I turned on the news and saw the headlines about her being supposedly executed. Kinda made sense then, and I wasn’t gonna turn my back on her.” His gaze fell on his grandson. “She told me about Desmen, and I sent troops to look for him and everyone that was said to be traveling with him, but…”

“It was too late,” Momo murmured. “But it’s okay, President Armstrong. You did what you could. Heck, we wouldn’t have been able to break into Deling City without your permission!”

“It was the least I could do,” she said earnestly. “Still, I’m impressed Timber managed to get a train in without raising suspicion. The land might be liberated, but they can still give Galbadia its come-uppance.”

Rinoa smiled proudly. “Of course! We aren’t the country bums everyone makes us out to be.”

Natalie laughed and waved her arms. “I know! I have family in Timber.” Her gaze cast to the side as she added, “Speaking of occupiers, Caraway was interrogated last night. He was pretty tight-lipped, but we did get some things out of him.”

Laguna tugged his hair back. “I’ll take it from here. Caraway wouldn’t give reason as to why he did what he did,” He gave Desmen an apologetic glance, “but he did reveal who he was working for.”

“You said you had a name?” Kevan said from his spot standing next to Seifer.

“Yes. Cyder. He’s the one behind all of this.” He gestured to the SeeDs in the room. “Although Nyvae had been a somewhat willing listener to his plans, the moment he showed any signs of compliance, Nyvae was put under his control. This dude had some scary powers.”

“Lieutenant General Rye mentioned something about that,” Desmen said, thinking back to when Caraway had cornered him in his office. “Back when I was taken to Deling City.”

Lamis gasped and snapped her fingers as some kind of realization seemed to dawn on her. “Hey, is that why Nyvae is suffering memory loss?”

“You got it. Although he _will_ be held responsible,” Laguna made sure to emphasize that Nyvae was not getting off scotch-free, “I don’t think he can be entirely blamed for what happened.”

There was an uncomfortable tension that settled in the room. Those who had witnessed Nyvae’s lunacy on the Alpha were having a hard time _not_ holding him responsible. When Laguna sighed, Yasu said quietly, “Give us a little bit. It’s still very near to us, what happened.”

“What else did he say?” Rinoa asked impatiently.

Natalie and Laguna exchanged glances. The former said, with her eyes closed, “It’s clear that Cyder was trying to start an international war.” Her mouth opened, but something made her hesitate.

Laguna found the courage to continue, “We don’t know the specifics, but what we gathered from the interrogation is that whatever he was aiming to do, he’s doing it for revenge.”

The listeners were stunned silent. Radovan furrowed his brow and said, “Revenge? Against what, the whole damn world?”

“We weren’t sure either at first, until we got a closer look at all the players.” Natalie began to check them off with her fingers as she said, “Balamb Garden: he took control of its Commander and made them try to kill the kids. The kids, of course, who he had Caraway, another player, try to kill except for Desmen, who was being used against Esthar and his family, along with others.”

Quistis ticked them off on her own fingers. “Us, the kids, Esthar, Galbadia, Garden…”

Leave it to Squall to figure it out. His head snapped up with a sudden start, his eyes narrowed dangerously. “More specifically… us, Laguna, Caraway, Balamb Garden… everyone who was involved with the Ultimecia conflict.”

“Ultimecia?” Bianca’s mouth dropped. “You think this guy might have known her?”

Armstrong hugged her arms around her tightly. “It’s possible.”

“It makes sense,” Odine said for the first time since the meeting started. “If he was connected with her, zen he would certainly want payback. And now zat I know zis, his course of action over ze past week makes sense now.”

He began to pace around the room as he continued to explain, “He must have come from her time to get revenge against us. He had a backup plan. He planted ze seeds before he tried to cast Time Compression, in case it did not work. It didn’t, so he went through with ze plans he had arranged here. He caused havoc in our nations and he targeted ze second generation of ze people who killed Ultimecia.” His squinted eyes fell on the kids before resting on Desmen. “He then took ze zon of ze leader and turned him into a tool of war through Caraway, ze man who first attempted retaliation against Ultimecia and who also happened to be ze grandfather of ze zon.” He took a breath, and continued, “Finally, he planned on using Galbadia, Ultimecia’s initial base, as a means to drag Esthar, ze country that helped bring Ultimecia down, into a war which would cripple it.”

“A bunch of birds in two stones,” Yasu murmured, his fist clenching in anger.

“What a bastard,” Zell said. “Do we know where he is?”

Laguna said, “Caraway insisted he didn’t know. ‘Cyder doesn’t tell me anything, let alone his location’ were his exact words.” The old President’s lips twitched in annoyance. “But, while he was being interrogated, some Timber troops who were in western Galbadia overheard reports about a strange light coming from the Island Closest to Hell a couple days ago, right before you guys,” He pointed to his son and his friends, “showed up here. It must have been when he tried to cast Time Compression.”

Momo shrunk into her seat. “Only thing further west than Galbadia is the Island Closest to Hell.” She groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Beefed up T-Rexaurs and Grendels galore.”

“Hold it,” Bianca said. She raised her hand to silence any further conversation. “Look, I’m willing to go there and investigate, and I’m sure we all are, but only under one condition.” She looked to Laguna, and then to Odine. “We’re taking the Ragnarok. I am _not_ going there without its gun and cannon. Momo’s right; those monsters on that island are insanely strong.”

“The fleet’s got guns,” Radovan told her, referring to all the vehicles in the clan’s arsenal.

“Not like the Ragnarok’s,” she retorted.

“I was going to recommend you take it anyway,” Laguna said. “You need to remember, the fewer people who see our time travelers here, the better.” He gave his son and friends an apologetic smile. “Might be better to keep them on a more private vehicle like the Ragnarok.”

Michi gave her uncle’s arm a squeeze. “That, and if we need to split up or something while we’re searching, it would make things easier.”

Radovan grumbled in protest for a minute, but then nodded in assent. “All right, all right. Bring the damn thing along. Might be handy; the sucker’s fast.”

Bianca and Selphie squealed and hugged each other while hopping up and down excitedly in their seats. “I can’t wait to see it!” Selphie said.

“It’s the same as ever,” Momo said. “But someone let me know in advance when we’re leaving so I can give it a look over. I mean, last time I did someone left a wrench in the left engine!”

Bianca whispered to her mother, “Momo’s the self-proclaimed mechanic of the Ragnarok. She gets pretty mad if it’s not being taken care of or handled properly.”

Zell gave his daughter a thumbs-up, and she beamed back.

Irvine didn’t seem too convinced, however. “You honestly know how that thing runs?” he asked.

Surprisingly, it was Seifer who vouched for her. “She’s the one who knocked down the generator in Deling, or at least the one who knew _how_ to knock it down. In about a minute.”

Michi ruffled her sister’s hair affectionately. “Momo is the best mechanic out of all of us. I’m not surprised she figured it out so quickly.”

“That’s the other thing…” Rinoa looked at her son a little uneasily before saying, “What exactly was happening? I don’t get how it all worked.”

“You mean Desmen’s abilities and how Caraway used them?” Alin asked.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

Desmen looked over at Odine. The scientist nodded. “Your magic levels are normal. You should be fine.”

With Odine’s medical approval, Desmen looked over at Michi. “Wanna help demonstrate?”

“Sure.” She got up from her seat, stretching her back as she and Desmen walked over towards an unoccupied part of the room.

Taw leaned over to Rinoa and Squall. “Wait ‘til you see this,” he said, his voice unable to hide his excitement.

However, excitement seemed to be the last thing on Squall’s mind. He watched Michi and Desmen uneasily, his body tense as he waited for whatever it was they planned to do.

Michi and Desmen stood several feet apart from each other. Desmen crossed his arms, and with a nod he signaled for Michi to go. She held her hand out, her arm completely outstretched in front of her. Her thumb crossed over her palm as she chanted, “Meltdown.”

On instinct, Squall leapt to his feet. “Wait, that’s-”

Lamis yanked him back down as the spell fired.

Desmen took a step back, and his body tensed as the spell made impact. The world heroes watched in a mixture of horror and shock as the spell slammed straight into him.

Yet, the real surprise came when the spell faded, and Desmen was still standing. Not only that, but he didn’t even look scratched or injured. He gave them an assuring smile. “Not hurt at all.”

“Whoooooa,” Zell said in awe. “That’s – that’s complete resistance!”

Rinoa sighed in relief. “Is that because of me?”

Dr. Odine shrugged. “Undoubtedly, it is key zat you are a sorceress and his mother. However, what we don’t know is whether or not zat is ze entire reason.” Odine began pacing around the room again as he became absorbed in his thoughts. “We do not know if it is an isolated incident. We have never seen another child of a sorceress. So, it is impossible to say for sure.”

“But that’s how Caraway was able to generate such a shield,” Momo said before the scientist could go on another of his monologues. “The generator they were using was really advanced stuff. I’ve seen prototypes of it here in Esthar, but that thing was flawless. If Cyder is really from the future, it might explain where it came from.”

“That worries me, then,” Natalie said with a frown. “The sooner you guys can investigate the better. Maybe once Desmen here has recovered more.”

“Give him another two days,” Odine said with confidence, “and zen you can go. He will be fine by zen.”

Bianca eyed Desmen and said in a mock stern voice, “Rest up!”

He gave her a half-hearted salute. “Yes, ma’m.”

Natalie made some motions to leave, shaking hands with Laguna and thanking him profusely. She angled her head towards Desmen. “By the way, before I go… I’ve been going back and forth a lot between here and Galbadia, getting things in order there while helping out with things here. Tomorrow, though, I will be returning to Galbadia for good.” Her hazel eyes darted to the side. “Soon to be ex-General Caraway will be coming with us so he can be tried in Galbadia. Today will be the last day you will be able to speak with him until after the trial.” She left her words there, the meaning in them implied.

Desmen jerked his head away from her and turned away, his smile vanishing in an instant. “I have nothing to say to him,” he said, his voice hard.

“I didn’t think so,” she murmured, “and that’s fine, but… after the trial, where I am quite confident he’ll be charged with treason, I do suggest that, before he’s executed, you talk to him.”

Rinoa placed her hand comfortingly on Desmen’s shoulder. She glared at Armstrong. “He doesn’t have to do anything.”

Squall sent a sharp look of his own towards Natalie. “We owe that man nothing.”

“I’m just suggesting,” Natalie said, holding her hands up in defense. “I’ll suggest the same to you, Rinoa, when the ‘correct’ you is back in this time.” She took a step towards the door. “I know you hate him, and you have every right to, but when he’s gone, he’s gone. Get your final words in before it’s too late.” With that, she said her good-byes and thanks, and strode out of the meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wondered about the lives of sorceresses and how they would be affected. From what the game seems to imply, many are in hiding and lead normal lives. Still, having such power isn't something I think that could be totally ignored, especially if it does have some sort of impact. Sorceress powers are passed on purely through embodiment, but I think there's a chance that any children they had would be affected by their powers. Being born from a body that's infused with magic has to have some sort of consequence. I see it like a mother having AIDS or being addicted to heroine while she's pregnant; it affects the baby, too. Of course Desmen's inheritance from Rinoa isn't devastating, but it's there. So basically, Desmen's magic resistance is a manifestation of the consequence of sitting inside a sorceress' womb for nine months. Some of her magic infused into him as a fetus and it manifested as magic resistance.
> 
> Of course there's no evidence in the game or any of the FFVIII canon (what little there is) that supports this. It's just an idea of mine, and I put it in here in case anyway was confused.


	13. We are not Generation Xerox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With things calming down and with all the kids together with their parents, a secret gets leaked, bringing up an inevitable issue.

The sun was well above the Estharian horizon when the enormous doors to the airship garage slowly opened. The docks shook a little as the doors rumbled upwards, and then came to a halt at the top with a muffled screech.

“They might wanna oil those,” Momo murmured as she walked in. “Then again, this place is so different from the rest of Esthar.”

The airship garage, although it was constructed of the same clear plastic-like material the rest of the city was built with, did not have the same flawless and pristine touch, nor did the workers wear the traditional robes. There were advanced computers and the latest gadgets all over, but where Esthar practically shone with organization and order, this place reeked of chaos and, well… dirt.

There was old oil smeared on the floor, and the clothing was sullied and ripped. A lot of the color that painted Esthar was absent here, replaced with the usual grays, browns, and other muted colors typical of garages. 

Momo inhaled deeply and smiled. “Nothing better than the smell of machine parts and burning rocket fuel to greet you in the morning.”

Michi walked alongside her sister, and smiled softly as Momo’s eyes lit up in excitement. “Your favorite place in Esthar.”

“Mmmhmm!” Momo said. “So down to earth and dirty and hands on!”

Bianca squealed in excitement when the large doors to another compartment of the hangar opened to their right, revealing the Ragnarok. “There it is!” she said delightedly as she ran full-speed towards it, arms stretched wide like she was going to hug it. Then again, none of them would have put it past her.

“Did you get a good enough of a look at it?” Alin asked Momo as they followed Bianca.

“Yep. All systems a-go. No tools left about or anything stupid,” she said with a mild glare.

Kevan covered his mouth as he held back laughter, or tried to. “Considering you attacked one of the mechanics with that wrench you found on the engine last time, I would think they learned their lesson.”

Momo narrowed her eyes playfully at him. “That’s not going to earn you points with me.”

Desmen snorted as she huffed and turned away when Kevan tried to placate her. “How’s that going anyway, now that our parents aren’t here to listen?”

Momo sighed dramatically. “He’s doing fine … or was, anyway.”

“Hey!” Kevan protested, feigning deep hurt. “I was stating an observation, not flinging an insult.”

Momo paused and seemed to consider his point. She nodded, and then flung her arms around him. “Very well, I’ll forgive you.”

Michi giggled as Kevan allowed Momo to climb on his back and gave her a piggy-back ride. “Looks like our future is secure, once again.”

Alin hurried ahead to his sister, who was opening up the hatch. He glanced around before pointed to Yasu. “Shut the compartment door, quick.”

Yasu slowly stepped to the side, trying to be discreet. When he got to the other side of the area, his hand whipped out and hit the ‘close’ button in half a second. “Mission accomplished,” he said as the door began to shut.

By that point, Alin was on the far side of the hangar, and hit the switch for the door that opened the ceiling above them. It would allow them to hover out of the dock before taking off. When the compartment door finally thudded shut, he pounded against a small door to the side. “It’s safe.”

The side door cautiously opened, and their parents peered in. Selphie pushed everyone aside, and practically bounced over to the Ragnarok. “Look at it! It’s beautiful! Oooh, it looks like it’s hardly changed!” She ran her hand along the one tail, and sighed dreamily. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been on it.” She turned to the kids. “Has anything been done to it since then?”

“Not much,” Momo answered, hopping off of Kevan’s back. “The cockpit was expanded in size so more people could fit in there comfortably, so the surrounding parts had to be moved around, too. Other than that and the necessary upgrades, paint jobs, and occasional repairs,” With that she shot Bianca a withered glare, “not much. It’s still the good ol’ Ragnarok you remember.”

“Let’s get to it!” Selphie said, jumping up and down and waving her arms. “We have an airship to fly and a baddie to catch!”

“I call pilot!” Bianca said with a mad giggle before rushing up the hatch.

Selphie’s mouth dropped. “Nuh-uh! I fly! _Me_!” she yelled as she stomped after her.

Alin rubbed a hand over his face. “I was afraid this was going to happen,” he said to himself. “We’re in for a long journey.”

~*~

They didn’t leave for about ten minutes, as Bianca and Selphie got into a squabble over who was flying. It took Quistis threatening to make them stay down in one of the storage closets and for Taw to teasingly suggest that he would do the flying that they settled on taking turns, with Bianca starting.

The Ragnarok lifted up out of the docks. It hovered in the air, and when the group on board spotted the Alpha and its sisters coming up behind them, they took off and headed west towards the Island Closest to Hell.

“Wouldn’t it be quicker for us to go east and wrap around?” Rinoa asked Bianca shortly into their flight.

“We could easily, but Radovan gets nervous about making the Alpha and the rest of the fleet go over that much open water for long. They’ve had some issues in the past, something about condensation from all the seawater getting into the engines and causing havoc. You’d have to ask Momo for those details.” Bianca expertly adjusted the Ragnarok a little more northwest. “It’s for them that we’re going the long way.”

Momo stepped into the cockpit, which was now two and a half times as large as the original set up. “Hey, anyone see my dad?”

Alin shook his head, sitting at the radio terminal. “No. Why?”

“Um, just, uh, making sure he’s okay and all.” She quickly ducked out without a further word of explanation.

Bianca very briefly exchanged glances with Alin. He nodded, and motioned towards Desmen. “Man this for a little bit, will you? I want to talk to Momo.”

“Sure,” Desmen agreed, sitting down in Alin’s spot. “Maybe there’s a secret stash of hot dogs somewhere and she’s making sure he didn’t sniff it out,” he teased, but there was something in his voice that sounded strained and nervous.

Alin shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. “Or maybe some of that extra-sweet chocolate sugar candy from Dollet that she loves. I’ve seen her hide pockets of it here.” He then chuckled. “If that’s the case, then I really better get my ass in gear. If she gets hyper, we’re done for.” He swiveled and walked out of the cockpit.

Once he went down the lift, his smile fell when he saw Momo hurriedly moving ahead. He caught up to her on the walkway. “Momo.”

She spun around, nearly tripping and stumbling over the railing. “A-Alin!”

He frowned, putting hands on both of her shoulders to steady her. “Easy. What’s the matter?”

Momo glanced around, making sure no one was listening before she whispered, “Talking with Kevan earlier in the hangar reminded me that my dad and Seifer don’t know about Michi and Kevan. They’re somewhere on board together.” She sighed, glancing around again in agitation. “I told her I’d keep an eye on them, but then Seifer went off somewhere, and now I lost Dad.”

His eyes darted around, and both of them listened for any signs of Zell. “Come on. Do you know where they are? It’s not like it’s that big of a ship.”

“Mmm…” Momo grabbed his hand and led him down the stairs to the bottom level. She turned right at the bottom of the stairs, pulling Alin along. She knocked on the storage room door. “Hey!”

Kevan and Michi poked their heads out, looking mildly confused. Without thinking, Kevan put his arms around Michi’s stomach, and leaned against her head with his. “Everything all right?” he asked.

“You haven’t see Dad anywhere, have you?” Momo asked.

“No,” Michi said with a shake of her head. “Did something happen?”

Of all the horrible, abhorrent timing, Zell and Seifer then barged into the room from the direction of the hatch, arguing about something. Before Michi or Kevan had any time to react, Seifer and Zell both turned to see Kevan holding Michi in his arms.

“Shit,” Alin muttered.

~*~

Quistis, Fujin, and Raijin were in the passenger room with Lamis, Taw, and Yasu. They were all relaxing in the seats, chatting amongst themselves when yelling broke out from outside. Lamis jumped to her feet and ran out, the others trailing behind her.

She ran out into the hangar, where she found Seifer, Zell, Kevan, Momo, and Alin yelling. Michi was standing to the side, her hands clasped over her mouth as she looked ready to cry. “What the hell is going on?” Lamis demanded, leaning over the railing near the top deck aisle.

Alin looked up at her. “Seifer and Zell don’t seem to grasp the concept that hate is not inherited.”

Lamis slapped her forehead with her hand. “Great. We’re going to have _this_ discussion, are we?”

Quistis hurried down the stairs, sending sharp glares at Seifer and Zell. “Break it up!”

Kevan stepped cautiously towards Zell. “Listen, you have a right to be upset-”

“Like hell he does!” Momo said.

“-but I love Michi very much, Zell. Please don’t think otherwise.” He kept his hands raised, palms forward in a submissive, if not slightly defensive way.

Seifer pointed to Michi. “Her, of all people?”

“What does it matter?” Lamis snapped. “Michi is Michi, nothing more or less!”

Her words fell on deaf ears. Zell stomped his foot and got up in Seifer’s face. “There’s nothing wrong with her!”

“And there’s something wrong with him?” Seifer said, wheeling around to turn on Zell.

“If he’s anything like _you_ -”

Momo covered her ears as Michi sobbed, and the younger of the sisters ran up towards the cockpit. By the time the lift got her up to the cockpit, her body was shaking uncontrollably and small streams of tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she tried to sniff the tears back.

Desmen immediately got to his feet. “Momo, what’s wrong?”

Bianca and the rest of the parents in the cockpit turned to see her. Bianca’s mouth formed into a grim line. “They found out about Michi and Kevan, didn’t they?”

Momo inhaled sharply and wiped away the tears that kept flowing. “They’re saying really nasty things about them. I know they wouldn’t mean it normally, but they were arguing before and they’re just mad and –”

“Michi and Kevan?” Selphie asked, glancing at Momo in surprise.

“They’ve been dating for a few years,” Bianca explained, glancing back out the window. “We were afraid that Zell and Seifer weren’t going to handle it well, so we tried not to say anything…”

Desmen squeezed Momo’s shoulder before walking out without a further word.

Rinoa and Squall followed after him as Selphie swung out of her seat to comfort Momo. Bianca motioned for Irvine to follow Desmen, and he complied wordlessly.

Once the elevator landed, Desmen ran through the room and towards the upper hangar. He then vaulted over the railing and landed between Seifer and Zell, who both jolted back in surprise for one precious second.

It gave Desmen the opening he needed. His leg kicked out and knocked Zell over. He used his opposite hand to grab Hyperion from Seifer and yanked it away from him. The sudden shift in balance and force brought Seifer down on his side.

Desmen stood up, cocked Hyperion’s gunhandle and placed the blade near Seifer’s neck. He then pushed the heel of his foot against Zell’s throat, though not hard enough to strangle him. “Knock it off,” he growled.

Seifer opened his mouth to argue, but Desmen’s glare silenced any words that had begun to form.

“What the hell is your problem?” he asked both of them. “I don’t remember either of you having a problem with Michi and Kevan before this.”

“But he’s-”

“She’s-”

“They are Michi Dincht and Kevan Almasy. They are your kids, not your carbon copies.” His tone had a sharp quality to it, and he eerily sounded like Squall when he was mad. “Grow the hell up, both of you. This is the dumbest thing to argue over.”

“Zell,” Alin said, “don’t you remember on the Alpha, when you learned Kevan’s last name? You said he didn’t remind you of him.” He stepped to the side and clapped Kevan on the shoulder. “So what if he is his son?”

“Same thing goes for Michi,” Desmen said, glaring harshly at Seifer. “All our lives, we’ve been stereotyped because of our family ties. Do you know how many times I’ve been considered a failure for not becoming a SeeD and a Commander like Dad?” He glanced apologetically up at his father when he and Rinoa walked in, closely followed by Irvine. “Do you know how people expected Kevan to fail because he was your son? How many freaking rumors I’ve heard about Lamis becoming an instructor, even though anyone who knows her knows that will never happen?”

Alin nodded. “We’ve put up with it ever since we were born.” His tone became threatening as he added, “Don’t you dare start doing it to us.”

Understanding and guilt finally dawned on both Zell and Seifer’s faces. Desmen let Hyperion drop to the ground and took his foot off of Zell. Alin helped both men up off the ground.

When Seifer glanced at Kevan, his son turned his head away. “I’m in no mood to talk to you,” he said before taking Michi’s hand and leading her away.

Even the kind Michi couldn’t look at Zell as she followed Kevan. They pushed past everyone gathered on the stairs and on the top deck aisle as they walked towards the airlock chamber. When the door shut behind them, the entire hangar filled with silence.

~*~

Bianca was grateful for being forced to stay in the cockpit during the flight. The tension on board was nearly unbearable; she could only imagine how suffocating it was if she decided to actually step out.

Selphie felt the same, she could tell. Both women were usually ones to cheer others up and break the ice, but the after-effects of the fight loomed over everyone like a thick cloud, and even the normally outgoing and cheerful duo were unsure as to how to break it.

However, they were now an hour away from their destination, and things were still feeling off-kilter, to say the least. Bianca hated it, and she knew something needed to be done. No ideas were presenting themselves, not until Selphie made an attempt to talk about Garden Festivals. The idea hit Bianca like a Behemoth charging at full speed.

Without explanation, Bianca grabbed the mic and turned on the speakers. “Zell, Seifer, I need you two up here, please.” She hung up, and then said to her mother, “Can you contact Radovan? Their radio coordinates are listed.”

Selphie nodded, her expression marking her confusion, but she didn’t question her as she got up and radioed Radovan. “What do you want me to tell him?” she asked as she coordinated the dials.

“We’re making an emergency landing. Nothing is wrong and the ship’s fine, but we just need to land for a bit.” She paused, wondering if he should wait for them or keep going. After a moment’s deliberation, she decided, “If he wants to keep going and meet us at the island, then that’s fine.”

Selphie gave her the thumbs up, and got through to the Alpha. She relayed the message, with Bianca speaking up a few times to clarify things or answer any questions.

Just as Radovan hung up, Bianca swerved the ship and landed it northwest of the Missile Base ruins. Zell and Seifer walked in, and Zell nearly toppled over from the sudden shift in direction. “The hell, Bianca?”

She got up from her seat, wincing when her back cracked. “We’re stopping for a bit. Listen, you two, I have a pretty good idea of what happened. Michi and Kevan aren’t talking to you, right?”

They both shook their heads. “We deserve it though,” Zell said, his shoulders sagging. “And now I heard Michi has been sitting by herself in the airlock cabin.”

Seifer ran his hand through his hair for the umpteenth time that flight. “Look, is there anything we can do?”

Bianca smiled. “That’s the right thing to ask. Because I have an idea.”

~*~

Kevan walked into the passenger room about five minutes later. Momo had gone up to ask what Bianca was doing, and he had decided to wait for her here. Michi was still insisting on being alone. He sighed audibly, wishing there was something -

He froze when he saw Seifer sitting in one of the passenger seats. In his father’s hands was his music journal, where he kept all of his notes and compositions, along with the songs he had written. The “present day” Seifer had never even looked at the journal, so to see the “past” Seifer doing so…

The man in question glanced up and waved the book a bit. “Bianca shoved this on me. Found it in your stuff. Told me to read it, like I can make sense of it. Never was good at music.” He looked back down at it. “Looks good, though. It – now hold on.” He smirked in satisfaction as he pulled out a few sheets. “Let’s see: ‘To Michi, for your birthday.’ You wrote her a song, huh?”

To Kevan’s surprise, Zell’s head appeared from behind one of the seats. “Really?”

“Yeah. For her 18th, too.” Seifer looked over it, even as Kevan stood there petrified. “Huh. Didn’t Bianca say something about there being a keyboard around from some gig played on the ship?”

“Yeah!” Zell leapt from his seat and snatched the sheets from Seifer. “C’mon, you should play this!” he said to Kevan excitedly. “It’d cheer Michi up, and…” His eyes softened. He glanced at Seifer, and they both nodded. “We’d really like to hear it.”

Bianca seized the opportunity to walk in. “I got it set up in the hangar! Momo’s gonna bring Michi down.” She grabbed Kevan’s hand and pulled him with her, Seifer and Zell following with the music in hand.

 _I think I was just ambushed,_ Kevan realized as he was pulled down towards the hangar.

When they got down there, Michi and everyone else were already waiting. Kevan’s heartbeat sped up. “Bi…”

“You’ll be great. Show ‘em what you’re made of.” She pushed him towards the keyboard and forced him down on the stool. Zell handed her the sheet music, and she set it carefully on the stand. She gave him a wink and a nudge before taking a few steps back. “Break a leg!”

He didn’t need the music; he knew his own song by heart. But his eyes stayed glued to the sheets, terrified of what he would see if he looked up. His fingers wanted to lock in place, to not hit the keys, but he forced himself to fight through his stage fright and play the song.

There were lyrics to the song, but he just played the notes on the piano. The words were for Michi’s ears alone. As he played, he thought back to the days when the song was composed. It was a magical time filled with unknowns. Their relationship had been new, and although he cared for her deeply back then, it was nothing compared to how he felt about her now.

Something in that knowledge, in the conviction that he knew how much she meant to him gave him the strength to keep playing, even with his father watching.

It was only when he played the last notes that he found the courage to look up and meet Michi’s stare. When their eyes locked, he knew the storm had passed as she smiled widely, with the dull ceiling lights reflecting the dried up tears.

“That…” Selphie swooned. “was so beautiful! You really wrote that?”

Kevan nodded. “Three years ago.”

“And he’s improved considerably since,” Lamis said. “I remember when you got the idea to write it.”

“You’re the one who gave it to me,” Kevan said.

“I remember when you first played it,” Momo said, smiling at the memory.

Kevan raised an eyebrow at her. “I remember, too,” he said. “It was when you finally said you were okay with me dating Michi.”

Momo narrowed her eyes at him as she put her hands on her waist. “Hey, you were a bit of a douche back then. Don’t blame me.”

Seifer scratched his head. He glanced at Kevan and began to chuckle. “Wow. Now that’s something you didn’t get from me. The douchebag part, maybe,” he said, referring to Momo’s words and surprising everyone with that admittance. “But where the hell did that come from?” He nodded at the piano.

Kevan wanted to answer, but a pair of slender arms came around him. He instinctively held Michi close to him. “Still like the song?” he asked her.

“Always.”

Zell shuffled his feet. “Well, I’ve certainly been schooled.” He held out his hand to Kevan. “Bygones be bygones and all that?”

Kevan pried an arm away from Michi to shake Zell’s hand. “Already is.”

Seifer bowed his head to Michi. “I got nothing against you. Honestly, I wish it was you I was stuck with and not the tech junkie over there.”

“Hey!” Momo snapped. “I am awesome and fun to be around!”

Desmen took a step away, not wanting to be involved in another one of Momo and Seifer’s spats. “Well, looks like everything’s back to normal,” he observed.

Seifer shook his head at Desmen. “By the way, any comment I made about you not being anything like the Commander over there, I take back.”

“Seriously.” Zell grinned. “You totally reminded me of Squall back when you pinned Seifer and me. I mean, you _really_ had the glare going on and the authoritative tone.”

Irvine’s lips curled in a restrained smile. “If you start wearing leather and saying ‘whatever,’ I think I’d have to cry.”

This resulted in several eruptions of laughter from everyone in the hangar, except of course from Squall. While the Commander shot Irvine his deadliest glare, and his girlfriend tried hard not to laugh (with little success), Desmen comfortingly clapped his father on the shoulder.

Kevan laughed into Michi’s shoulder and clutched onto her to keep himself from falling over. At the same time, he felt a surge of relief: if they were able to laugh and joke again, then everything was really okay.

Bianca reflected the same sentiment when she said, “Well, if we’re up for cracking jokes at Squall’s expense, then I think we’re ready to get going. We have a monster-infested island to comb over and a man to hunt down. Let’s roll, people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, points to you if you got the TV Tropes reference in the title. Secondly, this chapter provided a good opportunity to bring up the topic of generational parallels. I think it's just something that was bound to crop up in the course of a story like this. Although the kids are very similar to their parents in many ways, as Desmen pointed out, they're not their carbon copies. The relationships they have with each other are very different than that which their parents share. While they all get along very well and are like extended family, Kevan isn't especially close with Taw or Yasu (unlike Seifer with Raijin and Fujin), he and Desmen get along fine (vs. Squall and Seifer) and of course there's Kevan dating Zell's daughter, which this chapter dealt with. I kind of also wanted Seifer and Zell to finally grow the hell up a little and realize that their long standing animosity is rather pointless in the scheme of things, and it's not worth continuing at the price of their kids' happiness. So, basically, that's the point of the chapter in a nutshell, along with more development, of course.


	14. The first encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Clan makes a surprising find on the Island Closest to Hell, Michi and Momo have a too close for comfort encounter with the enemy.

The Ragnarok had just begun to lift off the ground when a radio call came in. There were several stares aimed at the radio console, and a few puzzled looks exchanged before a familiar voice crackled over the radio waves.

_“Oi! Pick the hell up!”_

Momo rolled her eyes at her uncle’s voice as Yasu hit a few buttons to receive the transmission. “Sorry, Radovan. Better safe than sorry. We’re taking off now and we’ll be there soon.”

“ _That’s why I called. Don’t bother. We already found something.”_

“Huh?” Yasu’s expression went from placid to flabbergasted in a second. “How? You weren’t that far ahead of us.”

 _“Dumb luck, sort of. We saw the damn thing from the air. Didn’t have to search at all.”_ Radovan let out a nervous chuckle that sounded tinny through the radio speakers.

Michi stepped over to Yasu’s side, and she leaned next to the receiver. She frowned in concern as she tilted her head to the side. “Uncle Radovan,” she said cautiously, “are you all right?”

“So I’m not the only one who thinks he sounds odd,” Lamis murmured. She glanced over at Quistis, and noticed her mother nodding in concurrence.

“ _Well, I, uh…”_

“Uncle Radovan.” Michi’s voice dropped to a low tone. “Please.”

After a moment’s pause, the clan leader sighed. “ _All right. I got two things making me nervous. The thing we found is definitely what this Cyder idiot has been using to jump between times.”_

“In conjunction with a Time Compression spell or something?” Yasu asked, unsure of where Radovan was going with this. “Or maybe Junction Machine Ellone?”

“ _I don’t think so.”_

“Uh, Uncle Radovan…” It was Momo this time that joined the conversation. She peered around her sister’s side as she spoke into the radio receiver. “Are you saying it’s a time machine? Because that’s what you’re implying.”

“ _Well, sort of. It’s capable of helping with casting Time Compression. To be totally honest, kiddo, I’m not one-hundred percent sure how it works yet, but we’re thinking it’s something similar to Time Compression. It got him to jump times, that’s for sure.”_

 “Oh!” Yasu slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Those graphs we saw when Bianca, Kevan and I first arrived on the Alpha make sense. That’s why the spell wavelengths were so even. He was using this machine to help him cast Time Compression, and to also send himself to different times.”

“So he did have a machine,” Bianca said from the pilot’s seat. “And he just left it on the Island Closest to Hell?”

“Can’t we just blow the thing up?” Zell suggested.

“ _Hell no. We might need this thing, and at the damn least, it’s an artifact.”_ Radovan heaved out another sigh. “ _This machine was built by the Centran Empire, our ancestors.”_

“Are you sure?” Momo asked incredulously. She couldn’t even begin to fathom why their ancestors from the Centra Empire, who were once revered for their wisdom as well as their knowledge, would build such a thing.

“ _Yep. We found the blueprints in our archives.”_

“But wouldn’t that make it really old in Cyder’s time, assuming he’s from the same era as Ultimecia?” Lamis asked.

“ _Yeah. But this fucker’s still functional. It looks new, too.”_ There was the sound of papers shuffling before he continued, “ _Usually the old archives are forbidden for us to see, but we made an exception and went into them. That’s where we found the prints. Worse yet, while most of the original machines were destroyed, there’s a chance one might still be out there. So, it’s possible our friendly neighborhood terror has an original_ and _one he built.”_

Yasu’s brow furrowed intensely as he said, “Do you think he’s using both? Would he need both to jump between times?”

“Not necessarily,” Momo said as she thought over it. “If the original one is intact in his _and_ our time, it means it’s likely intact in their time.” She pointed a finger at the parents. “Unless I’m wrong, he could just use the same machine to jump back, since it’s operational in all three times. He might have a second, though, as a backup.”

Selphie stared at Momo blankly. “I’m really confused.”

“That makes several of us,” Rinoa said as she glanced around the room, finding similar confused expressions. “Can you elaborate on that, Momo?”

The youngest Dincht nodded. “Yeah. Picture Cyder in his time. If the original time device… thing, whatever it’s called, is working in his time, he could use it to jump back to this time.”

“By using the same device,” Alin added. “He would depart – I’m using a train analogy here – from the device in his time and arrive at the same device in _this_ time. So he wouldn’t need more than one device, as long as it was working in every time period.”

Momo nodded. “Right. Again, assuming the device works in your time, he could then depart from the device in this time and hop to the one in your time,” she said, pointing at the parents again. “The only reason I could see him building a backup is in case the original was compromised.”

“Okay…” Selphie hopped back and forth on the balls of her feet, unleashing her nervous energy. “I think I get it, but how did Cyder get back to this time then after going to our time?”

There was a momentary pause on board and silence from Radovan’s end. Then, Alin snapped his fingers. “The Time Compression sent him back here.  After he made the second leap to the past, _your_ time, he also tried to cast the full Time Compression spell with the machine’s aid. Remember, you guys were in that tunnel and you saw a time compressed world for a moment?”

“But it failed.” Kevan continued for Alin. “He lost control. But since you were already in the time stream, you guys plus Cyder got sent to this time.”

“ _Damn smart crackers we got here,”_ Radovan said in a proud tone. “ _Cyder’s got a good handle on using these machines, but he don’t know how to cast a Time Compression spell for shit, basically. The blueprints say the devices can help aid in casting Time Compression. Again, why the bastards built them to do that is beyond me.”_ Radovan sighed, muttering something about “damn ancestors”. “ _Anyway, Cyder used the machines the same way Ultimecia used Junction Machine Ellone and eventually Ellone’s own powers to cast Time Compression. I think his second leap to your time was to enable him to cast the spell. Just going to our time may not have been far back enough in the past for him to cast the damn spell. But then he went and fucked it up.”_

“Hey,” Michi said, her smile brightening suddenly. “If Cyder could use this device to go back into the past, then we should be able to send our parents to their time!”

“Woo-hoo!” Selphie exclaimed as she jumped up in the air. “We have a way back!”

There were audible sighs of relief from everyone in the room. “Thank goodness,” Yasu added.

“ _That’s the only good part about all of this. But we don’t know how to even use the damn thing, so we’re gonna pack this fucker up and haul ass back to Esthar. Between us and Odine, we’ll figure this thing out.”_

Momo tilted her head to the side. “What about the blueprints?”

“ _They’re great at describing how to build the machine and its functions, but the damn things don’t tell shit about how to actually operate them. We’re gonna look through the archives and see if there’s anything, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”_

“Looks like you’re stuck here for a little while yet,” Desmen said with a wry smile aimed at his parents.

“I don’t think any of us mind,” Squall added in a monotone voice. His eyes glinted in amusement in contrast to his tone. He gave his son a brief smile before turning towards the radio. “Make sure it’s under heavy guard at Esthar.”

 _“Oh it will be. I’ll sleep on the damn thing if I gotta.”_ Radovan’s tone turned slightly mischievous as he added, “ _It’s also our only way to see if Cyder has another one. If he tries to come back for this one, then we know he’s lost his escape route. If he doesn’t, we got another one to find.”_ He resumed his normal tone as he continued, _“Meanwhile, why don’t you guys look for this ass-wipe? I wouldn’t confront the bastard yet, but we gotta find out where he’s been hiding out since shit hit the fan in Galbadia. We’ll keep an ear to the ground as well, but a manual search is in order.”_

“We’re on it!” Momo said excitedly. “But before that, what was the second thing you were nervous about?” she asked as an afterthought.

There was dead silence from Radovan’s end. Momo blinked when she heard what she thought sounded like a gulp. _“You and your damn memory…”_

“Uncle Radovan…” Momo said in a low warning tone.

_“…It’s your mother. She called.”_

Michi outwardly grimaced as Momo groaned.

“Is she mad?” the eldest daughter asked.

_“That might be an understatement. She’s on video conference on one of the other computers. She’s threatened to hunt me down if I don’t tell her what’s going on.”_

Seifer raised an eyebrow when he detected a hint of fear in Radovan’s voice. “Are you afraid of your own sister?”

Before Radovan could come up with a retort, Kevan lightly backhanded Seifer in the stomach. “Wendy grew up with Radovan and a bunch of boy cousins. She had to be really tough. Trust me, she’s not someone to be reckoned with when she’s upset.”

 _“The boy’s right, idiot.”_ The glare Radovan was almost certainly wearing at this point couldn’t be seen, but it was audible in his voice. “ _I’ve spent a lifetime trying not to get on her bad side, and I ain’t starting today.”_

“We’ll take her on video conference in the passenger room.” Michi took Momo’s hand and began leading her towards the elevator. “We’ll be back soon. Tell Mom we’re going to transfer her over!” she shouted towards the radio.

 _“Thank the heavens,”_ Radovan muttered under his breath. _“Five more minutes of waiting and she’d be conjuring ways to reassemble my insides.”_

~*~

Like Kevan said, Wendy Dincht was not one to be trifled with. Although she was exceptionally kind and technically savvy (traits both of her daughters inherited), she was also notoriously stubborn. Not just stubborn, but very patient. The only time her patience wore thin was when she was either worried or nervous.

And right now, Wendy was a very worried mother. Michi could see it in her eyes when her face popped up on the video conference screen. Her patient smile was forced, and the age lines in her brow were more pronounced.

“Mom…” Michi swallowed the lump in her throat. She hated making her mother worry like this. “I’m so sorry. Everyone’s all right.”

“So I hear.” Wendy sighed tiredly. “I know things have been crazy. I just – Zell disappeared and if that wasn’t bad enough, everyone else disappeared, too, and the next thing I know, Garden takes a job to _assassinate_ you and-”

Michi and Momo collectively winced; their mother knew more than they had hoped. “Mom,” the youngest said with a plea in her voice, “we’re all okay, really. Nyvae was just off his rocker and it wasn’t even entirely his fault.”

“And Caraway?” Wendy’s voice was monotone, hiding her emotion as she said, “Was it entirely his idea to kidnap Desmen?”

“You saw that, too, huh?” Momo said.

Her mother rubbed a hand over her face. “I heard about it on the news. Do you know how close I came to having a panic attack? Especially after later hearing my youngest daughter broke into a room full of armed soldiers and military personnel?”

“It was to save Desmen!” Momo protested, clasping her hands together. She fully understood her mother had a right to be mad, but she wasn’t in the mood for a lecture. And damn it, she thought, she wasn’t in the wrong for rescuing her friend! “I know it was careless but it wasn’t like I went in alone or-”

Before she could correct her error, Wendy asked, “Who else was with you?”

“Um…” _Think of a lie, think of a lie!_ Momo tried not to fidget under her mother’s scrutinizing gaze. “S – Soldiers. I had those Esthar and Timber soldiers with me, didn’t you know?”

Both sisters held their breath, waiting to see if Wendy’s famous lie, or as Radovan liked to call it her “bullshit,” radar was going off. Their mother peered back and forth between them, looking for any sign of a lie.

“I see,” she said after stretched out, painful seconds. “But is Desmen doing all right?”

“He’s good!” Michi said quickly, hoping to get away from the subject of the Deling City invasion. If Wendy found out about Seifer… not that Wendy couldn’t be trusted with such information, but the fewer people who knew the better. “They got him out before he was in any serious jeopardy and he recuperated in Esthar.”

Wendy nodded, shoving back her thick blonde curls (something neither of her daughters had inherited). “That makes me feel a lot better. And the rest of the kids are doing okay?”

“Yes,” Momo said, refraining from rolling her eyes.

For the first time since they began talking, Wendy smiled. “All right. I guess I’m keeping you from doing something I probably don’t want to know about.”

“Not if you don’t want to have another panic attack,” Momo muttered under her breath.

“Sorry, Mom,” Michi said with an apologetic smile. “We’ll try calling you later to keep you updated, okay?”

“Okay. Tell the others I said hello and I’m thinking of them. And let me know if you find your father,” Wendy added with a stern glance. “I don’t know if he-” The video crackled and became distorted. Lines appeared across the screen as Wendy kept talking, “-be careful and – go-”

“Mom, you’re breaking up!” Momo tried playing with the video control, trying to get Wendy back online. “We’ll talk to you later!” she shouted over the static.

Michi frowned as the screen crackled even louder and it began to snow. “We lost her. Why did the video go dead?”

“No clue. Bad connection, I guess.” Momo put her hands on her hips. She didn’t seem all that disconcerted, although the sudden loss in connection was puzzling. “Even Centran technology isn’t perfect. It could have been something small, like a bad wire or even someone tripping over a cord or-”

Suddenly, the screen went black. Momo glanced up from the console, a slender eyebrow raised as she and Michi waited.

They both felt something coming from behind them, and both sisters turned around immediately. They found themselves face to face with Cyder.

Momo gasped as Cyder’s fingers drummed on his scythe, which was currently still sheathed. “What a lovely mother you have,” he said quietly. His eyes were on the blank screen. “Worried about you like any good mother should. See, I respect that, and I’d hate to make her worry more than she should, so I decided it was best if she didn’t overhear our conversation.”

Michi pushed Momo back as she stepped away from Cyder, leaving some space between them and the console in case they needed to run. Her SeeD training had taught her better than to back herself into a corner. “What are you doing here?”

“Dude, get out,” Momo snapped from behind Michi, reaching for her weapons.

“I see manners aren’t a high priority among the Centra,” Cyder said coldly.

“And common sense isn’t a priority of yours.” Before Momo could add a further retort, Michi clamped a hand over her mouth and gave her a warning look.

“That brash attitude of yours is going to land you in quite a bit of trouble.” Cyder began stepping towards them.

Momo yanked Michi’s hand off her mouth. “Yeah, well, remember whose attitude it was who ruined your plans in Galbadia.”

This made Cyder pause, and frown disconcertedly at the sixteen year old.

Momo stuck her tongue out at him. “So poo on you!”

Her childish antics were met with a blast aimed just above their heads. Momo shrieked and Michi shouted for her to get down as the magical blast hit the video screen, sending sparks flying. Both girls leapt out of the way before the sparks or debris hit them.

Momo winced as her chin smacked against the computer console that lined the front of the passenger room. She grabbed the edge to support herself as she struggled to stand. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the alarm switch. Without hesitation, her hand jabbed out and hit it.

Red sirens began to shriek, and the whole room became dark for a moment before the emergency lights kicked on. Above the cacophony, Momo heard Cyder curse vehemently.

The door slid open, and everyone but Bianca, who still had to fly the ship, burst into the room, weapons drawn. For a second, the entire party froze when their eyes locked onto Cyder.

Then all hell broke loose. Momo quickly dropped down to the floor and covered her head with her hands as weapons were swung, stabbed and shot, and magic spells soared. Passenger seats were toppled over as her friends and family were sent crashing into them.

Suddenly, as soon as it began it was over. She looked up, only to find Cyder gone, the room in a complete state of chaos and disarray, and a few specks of blood scattered on the floor. “Everyone okay?” she called out shakily.

“I think so…” Desmen shook his head as he helped Momo get to her feet. “He disappeared though.”

Kevan bent down to where Michi was on the floor, and carefully helped her stand as well. “Are you all right?” he murmured.

“What the hell happened?” Squall said as he coughed, swiping some dust particles away from his face. “We heard the commotion down here. Then the alarms went off.”

“Uh…” Momo scratched her head. She glanced at the alarm switch and shut it off. “That’s better. Anyway, we were talking to Mom when the screen went wonky, and then Cyder appeared suddenly, like, POOF!” she explained, gesticulating with her hands all the while. “I was bantering with him and then he frigging attacked us and I hit the alarm switch and… yeah.”

Rinoa glanced up at her knight. “This is bad. He can get into this ship, just like that?”

“He’s more skilled than we figured, that’s for certain.” Quistis shook her head in amazement. “He’s trying to scare us. That’s all this was. A show of power.”

“She’s right.” Zell pounded his fist into his other hand. “We can’t let him get to us! Though seriously, I want to kick his ass for this.” He glanced back and forth between his two daughters. “I can’t believe he went for you like that!”

“We’re okay, Dad. Chill.” Despite her indifferent words, Momo’s kind smile showed she truly understood her father’s worry, and his anger. “He’s probably just desperate. If he was behind the plan to assassinate us and what happened in Galbadia, which it looks like he was, then he’s probably in a bad spot. Both of those plans failed.”

Alin shifted on his feet as he put his sickle chain away. “Now what, I wonder. We found him, or more like he found us. Where do we go from here?”

“We have to keep searching,” Yasu answered. “But first, we should get some rest.” He nodded to the broken screen. “And perhaps do something about that.”

“We’re going to have to get a new screen.” Momo sighed as she scratched the side of her chin. “Even if that’s fixable, which I doubt, it would take forever. That’s not even counting the expense. Might as well just buy new. That screen was getting old, anyway.”

Alin walked over to the computer console, which thankfully wasn’t damaged in the skirmish, and pressed a button. “Bianca,” he said into the speaker next to the button he was pressing, “we need to make a pit stop somewhere close by. What’s the closest city from here?”

After a brief pause, Bianca answered, “ _I’m searching the map now. Is everything okay down there?  I heard the commotion from up here.”_

“Just a run-in with our target. We’ll explain to you what happened later.”

 _“Um, okay.”_ Bianca didn’t sound convinced, but she seemed willing to drop the subject for now. _“Okay. The nearest town is… Dollet. Crap.”_

An awkward silence filled the room. Alin uneasily glanced over his shoulder at Lamis, who was staring out the window with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The other kids were looking at her as well.

The parents, on the other hand, were completely confused. Quistis placed a hand on Lamis’ shoulder. “Is everything all right?”

Her daughter refused to meet anyone’s gaze. Instead, she closed her eyes and said, “Yes, everything’s fine. I’m okay with it, guys.”

Taw shook his head. “But, Lamis-”

“It’s not a big deal. It’s not like I remember my time there.”

Quistis’ head snapped up when she realized what seemed to be bothering everyone: Dollet was Lamis’ place of birth. “You were born there?”

Yasu nodded. “Lamis, I know that place is uncomfortable for you, especially-”

“Stop!” Lamis winced at how harsh she had sounded. She softened her voice and said, “It’s okay, really. Tell Bianca to set a course for there.”

Alin’s eyes betrayed his worry, but he said nothing about it as he spoke into the intercom. “We’re going to Dollet, Bianca.”

_“Right. Setting a course now. We should be there shortly.”_

Everyone felt the ship rumble as Bianca expertly turned it in a new direction. Although the course was set, the awkward silence returned. Each child seemed to want to say something, but no words were spoken for several long minutes.

Finally, Seifer threw his hands in the air. “Fine, I’m going to ask. What’s so bad about Dollet?” He gestured to Lamis. “I get it’s where you came from, but you don’t remember anything, right?”

She fidgeted with the hilt of her jutte, trying to find the strength to explain. “It used to be fine, until two years ago. My biological mother contacted me around that time. To be honest, I didn’t want to talk to her. She left me alone; the authorities found me abandoned in the slums when I was three months old.”

“Her biological mother still lives in Dollet,” Yasu added for clarification.

Quistis gave Lamis’ shoulder a good squeeze, doing her best to be supportive. “Lamis…”

The redhead shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I can’t avoid it forever. I just…” The room felt like it was closing in on her. Beginning to feel claustrophobic, Lamis began backing away. “I’m sorry. I just need a breather. I’m fine, really. Just going to the bathroom.” Before anyone could protest or stop her, Lamis hurried out of the room and let her feet carry her straight to the ship’s only bathroom.

The motion of the ship didn’t help with Lamis’ nausea, and she was practically bent over by the time she reached the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her, and winced as she retched into the toilet. _I’m way too nervous about this. It’s just a town, the one where I happened to be born in. The same town where my mother left me for trash._

She hurled again. She hated the sound of throwing up, and the smell that went with it. She gripped the toilet seat tightly, wishing her insecurities and her doubts would just go away for once and for all.

When her stomach was emptied, she slid onto the floor. The floor was cool, and it seemed to help relieve her dizzying anxiety. She closed her eyes, and let the motion of the ship rock her into a light slumber as it made way to the Dukedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If that chapter left you a tad confused, don't worry. It sort of gets rehashed later in the story. Hopefully it was clear enough (or as clear as time traveling can be. It's so fudging complicated). 
> 
> The Centra Empire always struck me as a civilization that was really advanced. I'm not sure if that was stated or not, but they built the Gardens (back when they were used as shelters) and I imagine they were built rather quickly, considering they were shelters for when the civilization was nearly wiped out in the second to last Lunar Cry. Of course the time devices introduced in this chapter aren't exactly recent, but the idea behind it is that Ultimecia had to get the idea of Time Compression from somewhere, right? Someone knew about it before she did, or so I think. Who better than a long dead civilization that was advanced? Cyder has his own ideas with these devices, but that'll be delved into later.


	15. Frayed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids are more overwhelmed with the situation than they realize as tensions rise in Dollet.

_“I’m not your daughter?”  Thirteen year old Lamis felt her heart begin to break as she stared at her mother – or the woman she thought had been her mother._

_Quistis inhaled sharply, stung by Lamis’ words. “Of course you are! I’m just not the one who gave birth to you. You have a different set of biological parents, that’s all.”_

_“That’s all?” Lamis repeated, her fists clenching at her sides. She wanted to be angry, and she tried to fuel that anger by reminding herself over and over again that Quistis had kept his secret from her for thirteen years. However, all she really felt was confusion and sadness. “That’s a big deal!”_

_Quistis leaned her head against her hands, struggling to come up with the right words. “I’m not saying it’s trivial, but it doesn’t have to change anything. I am your mother,” she said as she met Lamis’ agitated gaze, “and you are my daughter. But I wanted you to know the truth when I thought you were old enough.”_

_This is what was so irritating about arguing with her (adoptive) mother: her logic was sometimes so infallible, it was hard to argue against it and that just made Lamis all the more frustrated. Unable to think of anything to say, Lamis fell back on a reliable and favorite technique of hers: sarcasm. “Well,” Her voice dripped with it as she stood up from the table, “now the truth’s out. Happy?” Of course, it was a pathetic comeback and it didn’t help matters in the least. But it let out some of her building frustration._

_“Lamis…”_

_“I’m going to my room.” She turned away from Quistis, whose eyes were pleading for her to stay. However, Lamis couldn’t right now. As if dealing with newly emerging hormones and acne wasn’t enough, now she had to deal with this new information._

_Without a further glance back, the young teenager marched up to her room, where she ended up spending the entire night alone._

~*~

Lamis opened her eyes, willing the memory into the far recesses of her mind. She had acted like a brat that night; she realized this now. However, that night had only been the beginning of her problems.

Nearly five years had passed since she had learned about her adoption, and she had not felt the same since then. Despite reassuring words from her mother and her friends, Lamis had begun to see herself in a new light.

She wasn’t a Trepe by blood, just through legal means. Like the others, she took considerable pride in her family, and it hurt her to realize that her tie to her family wasn’t as… real.

From there, her self-esteem had begun to deteriorate, and there had even been a brief period where she had distanced herself considerably from her friends. Fortunately, that didn’t stop them from reaching out to her.

 _I’m lucky to have such good friends,_ Lamis thought as she recalled that time when she was sixteen, where she was barely hanging on and was considering cutting everyone out of her life. Her friends fought back, and eventually she came around.

Still lying on the bathroom floor, Lamis rolled onto her back and stared up at the steel tiled ceiling. _How did it get so bad?_ she wondered with quiet exasperation. _Why does it matter so much to me?_

A soft knock startled her and brought her back to reality. She quickly sat up, but before she could get to her feet, the door opened. With a sense of rising dread, Lamis watched as Kevan poked his head in. His eyes immediately softened when he saw Lamis on the floor.

“I’m okay,” she said instinctively. Before she even had time to realize how much of a lie that was, she caught a glimpse of Kevan’s disbelieving stare and winced. Her friends had learned to never take her word for granted when it came to her problems. As much as it irritated her sometimes, she knew it was for the best. She was far too good at hiding things.

Kevan said nothing at first. Instead, he bent down next to Lamis, and stared into her eyes. He was looking for what she was hiding, looking for the true answer that he sought as to how she really felt. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “No one would blame you if you decided to stay on board.”

She shook her head stubbornly. “No, I’m going. I’ll be fine.”

“Lamis-”

“If I get weirded out, I’ll come back.”

After a moment’s consideration, Kevan nodded. “All right. We’ve landed, so let’s get going.” He stood up and held out a hand to her. She took it, and he helped her to her feet.

As they began to walk out of the bathroom, she asked, “Are the others worried?”

“Yeah. But it’s not like they don’t understand.”

Lamis left the silence that followed hang between them. She wanted to appear composed before they reached the boarding ramp, feeling that she had caused enough concern and worry. Recalling her training, she controlled her breathing, inhaling and exhaling exactly every five seconds. The repeated breathing helped soothe her nerves, and she was already in better spirits by the time they reached the ramp.

All eyes fell on Lamis as she stepped in, but she refused to meet anyone’s gaze. Direct eye contact would just lead to questioning, if not pitying, stares and possibly an interrogation or two. All she wanted was to get through Dollet and back as quickly as possible.

Bianca sighed quietly. Whether she understood Lamis’ thinking or just decided not to bring up the matter now was debatable. Whatever her reasoning, she said nothing in regards to Lamis or her state of mind as she said to the adults, “Okay. I hate to keep you guys cooped up here, but remember _when_ you are. We can’t just have you running around Dollet.”

“We’ll be back soon,” Michi assured them with a smile. “We’ll bring back some food, too.”

“In the meantime,” Quistis said with a beckon of her hand, “we’ll think of where to look next. There are only so many places Cyder can go.” Her words were concentrated with their situation at hand, but her eyes were focused on Lamis, who kept staring at either the floor or the ceiling, refusing to make eye contact.

“I’m not sure if that’s a valid point.” Yasu pointed towards the right, in the direction of the passenger room where Cyder was just a few hours ago. “He managed to get in there on his own, so theoretically he could go anywhere.”

Bianca shuddered. “Cr- _ee-_ py. I sort of wish I didn’t know that. We have to be on guard twenty-four/seven now because he could just pop up whenever.” She rubbed a hand over her face and blew out a breath in frustration.

“You should be on guard no matter what.” Squall looked up from his perch against the wall. His eyes rested on Desmen, though he was addressing all of them as he continued, “Be careful. No one should go off by themselves.”

“It’s not like we’re not armed,” Desmen pointed out, resting the heel of his hand on his spear.

“I don’t care,” Squall answered in a low tone.

Momo coughed intrusively, stepping behind Desmen and starting to push him towards the hatch. “Okay, even _I_ know what that tone means. Let’s just nod our heads and swear we will be extra careful, okay?”

“We’ll keep an eye out!” Michi shouted over her shoulder as they began to walk towards the opening hatch.

“Behave yourselves,” Kevan added with a cheesy grin. “We’ll be back soon.”

The first generation waved as the second generation called back their good-byes and promises of returning soon.

All but one. Lamis kept her head down as she walked out of the airship with her friends. Her demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by Quistis, who frowned in concern as the kids disappeared from sight.

She felt someone nudge her with their elbow. She turned to find Selphie giving her a puzzled expression. “Everything okay?”

Quistis considered lying, since it would be easier than trying to explain what was going through her mind. She opened her mouth slightly, but the lie wouldn’t come out. She shook her head, trying to make sense of her swirling thoughts. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted. “I really don’t know.”

~*~

Dollet hadn’t changed too much between the time Ultimecia had waged war against the world and now, save for a few more buildings and streets. Businesses had come and gone, but many of the old ones had stayed and remained unchanged despite the passage of time.

The city’s seemingly static appearance unnerved Lamis. Her crumbling resolve was difficult to mask as she stepped down the cobblestone streets. The only thing keeping her going besides sheer willpower were Bianca and Alin, who were walking directly behind her and thus barring her from being able to turn around and bolting.

“Oh, oh!” Bianca’s excited shouts caught Lamis’ attention. She turned to find the perky SeeD pointing at a deli on the other side of the street. “I know that place! It’s really good. Dad loves the melts there – not that he would know it right now or anything, but that’s beside the point.”

Alin’s lips twitched in amusement. “True. He’ll have to take our word for it, since this place wasn’t around in his time or anything.” He spared Lamis a glance. “What do you think?”

“It’s fine,” she said with an indifferent shrug. “I’m sure we can find something for our parents there.”

To Lamis’ surprise, her hand was suddenly in Bianca’s, and she was being pulled towards the deli. “Come on!” Bianca said excitedly as they crossed the street. “I hope they have some good ham. I _really_ want ham right now. Like, hardcore craving for ham like you wouldn’t believe. I think it’s from the stress. It’s just weird because you think I’d crave chocolate or something sweet but instead I really want _ham_ and-”

“Bianca!” Lamis cut her off before she talked her ear off. “I’m okay.” She knew that Bianca only got this chatty when either things were awkward or she was trying to get someone’s mind off of something. In this case, she was sure it was the latter.

Her tiny friend blinked, not used to being cut off so abruptly. “Okay. But I really do want ham…”

“Then we’ll get some.” Reigning in her frustration and mustering her fading resolve, Lamis pulled Bianca inside, with Alin following right behind them.

 They immediately split up, searching for food that they and their parents would enjoy. Lamis peered at some of the pre-packaged salads the small deli had to offer. Her mother always preferred salads, and having grown up under Quistis’ roof, Lamis had come to enjoy them as well.

While Lamis was deciding between Caesar and garden salads, Bianca was already at the counter, two large, plastic-wrapped ham sandwiches in tow. Leaving Alin to find something for their mother, Bianca placed the two sandwiches for her and Irvine on the counter.

“Anything else today?” the clerk asked as he began scanning her items.

Bianca glanced up from the money she was counting, and was met with the clerk’s charming, dimpled smile. She smiled in return, though hers was not nearly as innocent as the cashier’s. “I’ll take a pair of your dimples to go, too.”

The young man blushed faintly as he put her sandwiches in a bag. “Sorry. Afraid they’re not on sale.”

“Darn.” Despite her “disappointment,” her smile became even brighter as she handed him the necessary Gil. “And here I was, looking forward to enjoying them with my sandwich.”

“From what I heard, they taste rather bad with ham.”

“Really?” Her head tilted to the side curiously as she regarded him. “That’s odd. In my rather vast experience, dimples are good with just about anything.” She offered an innocent smile as he put her money in the drawer, too embarrassed to meet her gaze directly.

With a snort, the cashier finally managed to say, “Well, adding ketchup might help.”

Bianca burst out laughing, though most of it was from the pent up stress than from the joke being actually funny. The cashier laughed with her as he tried to hand her back her change. They both nearly dropped it as their giggles continued.

Once Bianca managed to get the money securely in her pocket, she said, “I really needed that.”

“Glad to help.” The clerk smiled sympathetically as he handed Bianca the sandwiches. “So, what’s your name?”

Before she could answer, her brother said, “Bianca.”

Bianca’s mouth hung partially open as she turned around, finding her brother standing right behind her with an annoyed frown on his face. “Uh, thanks for answering for me?”

“This really isn’t the time to be flirting with some deli clerk.” Alin paid no mind to the aforementioned man’s insulted expression as he stared down his twin sister.

Bianca knew all too well where this was going. Ignoring Alin for the time being, she turned to the cashier. “Excuse him. Manners have never been his strong suit.”

Undeterred, Alin pressed on. “Don’t ignore me, Bianca. We have an emergency and you’re flirting with some random guy as you always-”

“Don’t even go there.” Bianca’s tone was low in warning as she spun on her heel. “I’m completely aware of what’s going on, _Alin._ I’m stressed enough as is. You don’t need to remind me.”

If either of them had a better presence of mind or hadn’t been under so much stress, the argument would have stopped right there. However, frayed nerves and shortened fuses allowed neither of them to back down, including the usually logical Alin. “It’s rather hard to see that when you do this _every_ damn place we go. We’re in the middle of a crisis and yet you have the time to be flirting with the nearest guy with a charming smile! It must be nice to have that luxury.”

If it were possible, Bianca would have snarled at Alin. Instead, she was resigned to glare at him and grit her teeth. “What, I should throw every bit of normalcy out the window? Have you ever considered that maybe this is my way of coping with things? Oh, that’s right.” Bianca took a step away from him, no longer wanting to be standing anywhere near him. “I forgot. You still think I’m just some dumb twit who can’t think for herself and just flirts because it’s all I’m good at. You’ve made that clear on a few occasions,” she said, her voice dripping with venomous sarcasm.

“I’ve _never-_ ”

“No, but it’s what you’re thinking. Sorry that you had to be twins with someone whose priorities don’t line up with yours.” She threw her arms up in the air dramatically, ignoring the stares the other customers in the deli were giving her. “I’m _so_ sorry, Alin. How can you live with the embarrassment?”

Before the fight could escalate, the clerk tapped Bianca on the shoulder. “Your friend is gone.”

“What?” Bianca glanced back at him. “Lamis?”

“I guess. It was the red-haired girl that came in with you. She left.”

Alin sighed heavily. “Great. She could have gone anywhere.”

Though she was small, Bianca shoved her bag at Alin with enough force to send him stumbling into a display of candy bars several feet behind him. The sarcasm in her voice was stronger than ever as she said, “I’ll apologize on her behalf for the inconvenience. Never mind what she’s feeling right now.”

“That’s not what I meant! Damn it, stop misconstruing what I say!” Alin snapped.

“You’re one to talk about misconstruing.” Bianca stormed towards the door, leaving her brother half collapsed against the ruined display case. “I’m going to go find her so you don’t have to go out of your _way_ for her” was the last thing she said before slamming the door behind her.

~*~

Back on the Ragnarok, some of the adults had settled down to a game of Triple Triad. Irvine had found a set of cards on board and had challenged Zell, Selphie and Raijin to a round.

Seifer was perusing some old magazines that he had found on the ship, his only other means of entertainment besides the card game that he _really_ did not want to partake in. After finishing sifting through a fifteen year old issue of _Weapons Monthly,_ he looked up to find Quistis staring at the floor, her gaze unmoving.

Rinoa, too, had spotted the instructor. From across the room, she and Seifer exchanged quick glances before she turned back to Quistis and said, “Hey, are you okay?”

Quistis shook her head. “I’m worried. I…” Suddenly, she got to her feet and brushed off her skirt. “I need to talk to her.”

Without further explanation, she ran towards the ramp. She hit the switch as she passed it. When the others realized where she was going, they shouted in protest.

“We have to stay here!” Zell admonished as he got up to go after her.

“I know, but this is important. Just stay here, I’ll be fine!” Throwing all sense of logic and caution out the window, Quistis sprinted out of the ship, leaving the others dumbfounded and confused as the ramp closed behind her.

~*~

Michi let out a contented sigh as the sea breeze blew over her. Though she had grown up in Balamb, she never grew tired of the salty breeze that she had always known. It was almost as comforting as holding hands with Kevan. _Almost._

She opened her eyes when she heard him chuckle. Curious, she followed his gaze down the path. Up ahead she saw Momo arguing with a street vendor. The vendor kept pointing towards some hi-tech looking device he had, and Momo repeatedly shook her head. Once or twice, she rolled her eyes at the man she was dealing with.

“Probably trying to sell that item to her, claiming it’s hi-tech or something.” Michi smiled ruefully as she pitied the vendor. “Too bad he’s only going to get scolded for trying to fool her.”

“Yeah, really,” Kevan agreed as they strolled towards where Momo was. “She could probably build the thing herself.”

“And I’m sure she’s telling him as much. Come on, we better intervene before she socks him.”

They hurried over towards the poor vendor and the increasingly annoyed Momo, who did seem to be seriously contemplating whether a right hook or a haymaker would get her point across.

“Momo.” Michi placed her free hand on Momo’s shoulder and pulled her back. “Whatever it is, it’s not worth getting mad about.”

“He’s trying to sell this garbage to people!”

“It’s not garbage!” The burly vendor crossed his arms defensively. “That phone is a new, top of the line brand!”

“Are you kidding me?” Momo grabbed hold of the phone in question. “Look at this. This is just a polished up model of a brand that was sold three years ago. It looks like you just slapped on a new case and stenciled in some fancy designs on the back. This is fraud!”

“It’s business!” he fired back.

“Well, I hope you’re proud of ripping people off.” Momo threw the phone at him, smiling in evil satisfaction when it hit him square in the chest.

“And on that note,” Michi grabbed Momo’s arm and pulled her away. “we need to get going. Sorry about this,” she said to the vendor before walking away with Momo in tow.

Despite the rather embarrassing scene, Michi couldn’t help but giggle as she heard Momo grumble under her breath.

“Don’t worry, Mo,” Kevan said in an assuring tone, “I’m sure someone will catch him one day.”

“But how many people will he rip off until then? It’s just wrong.” Freeing her arm from Michi’s grasp, Momo crossed her arms across her chest. “It’s people like him that make us technology geeks look bad.”

She turned her gaze towards the docks, hoping that the scenery would settle her nerves. As a child, Momo had always loved watching the boats come and go in the Balamb harbor. At one point, she had wanted to work on a boat until her love of mechanics had turned her attention elsewhere.

Her eyes went from boat to boat, mentally identifying each of them as she went. _Oil tanker, crabbing boat, shrimp boat, some kind of research vessel, White SeeD ship-_

She immediately froze in her tracks when that registered fully in her mind. _Wait, the White Seed ship is_ here _?_

Her eyes widened considerably as she yanked on her sister’s sleeve. “Uh, Michi, we have a huge problem. Look who’s in town.”


	16. In the absence of a blood bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lamis and Quistis have a long overdue (on Lamis' end anyway) heart to heart, and a run-in with the White SeeDs leaves a bad taste.

Lamis knew she shouldn’t have run out of the deli like she did. Bianca and Alin would worry. But their arguing had just made it unbearable. She couldn’t stay in there any longer, not with her nerves fraying more than she could possibly handle and unwilling to listen to them argue over something so _stupid._

She shook her head, sitting down on a large rock that jutted out from one of the cliffs above the city. _Maybe it’s selfish of me, but I have bigger things on my mind. I don’t think I could have stopped that argument even if I was at my best. When those two go at it… well, no one’s safe._

For a moment, she idly wondered if the deli they had been in was still standing. Then she remembered that she hadn’t bought anything for her or Quistis to eat. She cursed out loud, slamming her open palm against the rock face in frustration.

 _I don’t want to go back into Dollet alone._ She wrapped her arms around her torso and shuddered. If she went in there alone, she’d just bolt again. However, she and Quistis needed food.

As she was struggling with her conundrum, she heard pounding footsteps echoing from further down the path. Lamis passed them off for a jogger’s and continued to stare out over the city below her, until she heard a familiar voice shouting her name.

Her head spun around, and her mouth dropped as she saw Quistis hurrying up the path. “Mom?” she screeched in surprise, quickly hopping off the cliff. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t have left-”

“I know!” Quistis panted as she stumbled to a halt in front of her daughter. “Trust me, I’ve been lecturing myself the whole time. But I had to find you.” With a disbelieving chuckle, Quistis said, “I’m rather surprised I found you this fast.”

“How did you know to look up here?” Lamis had come up here to these isolated cliffs because she thought there was hardly any chance someone would come looking for her there. So much for that.

“When I was in Dollet, during the SeeD mission – you know, the one that Squall, Selphie and Zell participated in – I saw these cliffs and thought that they would be good places to go if someone wanted to be alone.” She rested her head against her hand as she added thoughtfully, “I’m not sure why I took note of them, really. I just did. When I went into town, I saw Bianca tearing down a street, looking for you. I had a feeling you had gone to be alone and I thought of these cliffs.”

“Motherly intuition?” Lamis tried to go for a teasing tone, but it sounded more like exasperated.

“Maybe,” Quistis answered, her tone completely serious. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something like that. At least after everything that’s happened.”

“I don’t get what you mean.” It was rather odd, saying that to her mother, who was always so good at being clear and concise.

Quistis smiled apologetically. “I apologize. My mind’s not all together yet.” She began to cross her arms and straighten her shoulders, looking more like a teacher about to instruct a student. Then, as if realizing how she must look, she stopped, and let her arms rest at her sides. “It seems we have some kind of connection to this time. I’m not sure how it works or really what it is, but… I just remember Selphie charging at Nyvae when Bianca was hurt, and how much pain Rinoa and Squall were in when they saw Desmen contained.

“All of it is so strange. The fact that we are actually your parents… it shouldn’t have sunk in so fast. I don’t think it has, really. I still get rather overwhelmed when I think about it, and yet…” She gestured to Lamis. “Protecting you and the other children is something that comes naturally. Selphie and Seifer were even able to call their weapons to them, even though we didn’t have them with us when we came here.”

“Your weapons went with you when you disappeared,” Lamis added. The sudden appearance of Strange Vision and Hyperion was puzzling, but with all the other events that had been happening, that had been the least of everyone’s concern. “I’m not sure how that happened either. I’m just glad it did.”

Suddenly looking nervous, Quistis took a step towards her daughter and placed both hands on her shoulders. Lamis wasn’t sure what her mother was struggling with. In an effort to help, she mimicked Quistis’ gesture, hoping the contact would be encouraging. “What is it?”

“I knew where to find you, yet I can’t figure out what’s bothering you.” Quistis sighed in frustration, though her expression was more composed and calm. “I know it has something to do with being in Dollet. You associate this place with being adopted. But I just don’t understand why it’s causing you so much pain.”

If she could, and if her mother wasn’t holding her so securely, Lamis would have broken down and cried. A part of her felt ashamed for wanting to; she was a SeeD for Hyne’s sake! But another part of her reminded her that it was nerves and stress eating at her. The best thing to do now was just be honest. “I do. Associate it with being adopted, I mean. I just hate it.”

“What’s so bad about it?”

 _How to explain this…_ “The others and I, we always took a lot of pride in our family.” Lamis could see the slight confusion that made Quistis’ brow furrow, even though she seemed pleased otherwise. Understanding where it was coming from, Lamis explained, “You guys were the heroes that saved the world. We grew up to your stories about the Ultimecia War. Sure, it was hard living in that shadow sometimes, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“Oh, now I see.” Quistis sighed in slight relief. A problem understood was a problem able to be fixed. “And you don’t feel like a part of the group because you were adopted instead of being born into it?”

When Lamis nodded, Quistis pulled her into a hug. “That’s not true. If anything, you’re more like us because you were adopted. You were orphaned and taken in, just like me.”

She hugged her daughter tighter. “I don’t know what kind of mother I am, or am going to be, but… even if I ever make you feel like you’re not my family,” She hoped she never would, but she was in no position to assume anything about her parenting skills, now or in the future, “you still have your friends. Squall, Rinoa, Selphie, Irvine, Zell… they are my family. They are my friends, but they are also my family. It’s the same for you and your friends.” She rested her cheek against Lamis’ fiery curls. “No matter what happens, you will always have a family that you are a part of, blood related or not.”

Lamis’ friends had never given up on her, because they were _her_ family, too. None of them were related by blood, but when did that ever matter? She had been so busy obsessing over her not being a “real” part of the Trepe family that she had completely overlooked the fact that she was a part of her other family, the one she and her friends were a part of.

In the minute of quiet that followed, Lamis felt a part of herself fade away. The nagging, morose voice in the back of her mind that had haunted her the past five years fell silent. There was no telling if it would return. Maybe it would, during moments of self-doubt. Somehow, Lamis felt that even if it did, it would be a lot quieter the next time around. Her mother’s words – and her ability to find Lamis like a natural mother, even though she wasn’t - had destroyed most of its power.

The only regret Lamis had left by the time she pulled away from her mother’s embrace was that it had taken her five years to get to this point. Her ordeal wasn’t over, not yet, but as she smiled, she felt that the worst had passed. “Thanks,” she said to Quistis. “It helped to hear that… a lot.” _More than you’ll ever know._

She almost laughed at Quistis’ skeptical look. “All right,” the older woman said hesitantly. “You sure there isn’t anything else I can do?”

“You’ve done enough,” Lamis assured her. “Come on. We need to get you back to the Ragnarok before anyone sees you.”

With a resigned nod, Quistis let Lamis lead the way. They worked their way down the windy path, stepping over fallen rocks and avoiding being seen by hikers.

When they reached the bottom, Lamis pointed in the direction of the Ragnarok and said in a mock stern voice, “Get back there and hide, damn it. And no more running off after me. Got it?”

Though unused to being the one who was told what to do, Quistis gave her a salute as her lips quirked in amusement. “Yes ma’am. Though, what are you going to do now?”

“Find Bianca.” The tiny SeeD was probably still tearing up Dollet trying to find her. It was best to get back before she panicked. “I should probably apologize, too. Then I’ll get you some food.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Be careful.” It was Quistis’ turn to look stern as she aimed a warning frown at her daughter. “If anything happens-”

“I know, I know.” Lamis shooed her towards the ship. “Get going. I’ll be back soon.”

Deciding not to argue, Quistis quickly turned around and hurried towards the ship. Lamis watched until she was safely out of sight, and then headed in the opposite direction, towards Dollet.

As she made her way back, Lamis couldn’t shake the tingling feeling crawling up her spine. At first, she thought it was remaining nerves from being in the city. Resolute, she ignored the feeling for now as she made her way deeper into Dollet. _I’m fine. There’s no need to be nervous._ She had her mother’s words in her heart, and she was damn determined not to let her old fears overcome her again.

But as she passed through the streets and came upon the docks, the feeling intensified. It was as she was standing on the pier, glancing around for a familiar face that she realized the feeling had nothing to do with her. There was something - or someone - else in this city that was sending chills up her spine and making her stomach curl.

“Lamis!”

Her head snapped around. Alin was sprinting towards her, the plastic bag of food from the deli swinging wildly behind him as he ran. “Alin, I-”

“You okay?” he asked, his chest heaving in and out from the exertion.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m sorry about that. I just-”

He shook his head vigorously. “It’s not that. We have a big problem. The White SeeDs are in port.”

 _That would be why I’m getting the creepy crawlies._ Lamis’ eyes widened as she immediately searched the docks. Sure enough, she spotted the distinct white sails, sticking out like a sore thumb from the rest of the ships. “This is bad. Really, really bad. Where’s Desmen?”

“We don’t know.” Alin’s eyes met hers, and Lamis read the same worry in them that she also felt. If Desmen wasn’t found soon, and if he ran into the White SeeDs…

Lamis grabbed Alin’s hand and took off towards the ship. “We need to find him then, and fast.” Despite her words, Lamis was sure that he was already by the ship, and that they would have a huge fight to break up.

With all of her strength, she ran, pulling Alin behind her, hoping that they would get there in time before someone got hurt this time. Or even killed.

~*~

The pedestrians on the docks were in an uproar by the time Lamis and Alin made it to where the White SeeD ship was docked. The teenagers ignored the onlookers’ protests as they pushed their way through the crowd. Even from a distance, Lamis could hear shouts and insults slung between Desmen and the White SeeDs.

“Stop it!” she yelled when she broke through the throng of people surrounding the lifelong enemies.

Desmen was standing with his back towards the crowd, staring down a few younger White SeeDs who were standing in front (or more like guarding) their ship. They were glaring at Desmen, even as Lamis stepped in front of him. “Just go!” she told the SeeDs. “This can’t end well unless everyone just walks away now!”

“There’s nothing to see here!” Alin shouted at the crowd, shooing them with his hands. When no one budged, he frowned and hollered in an even louder voice, “ _Get lost!”_ For extra emphasis, he placed a hand on his sickle chain.

Despite the angry glowers and curses thrown at him, the crowd dispersed anyway. No one seemed willing to go up against an angry teenager with a long-range sickle.

Alin turned on his heel and redirected his piercing gaze at Desmen and the White SeeDs. Despite Lamis’ plea, none of them had moved from their spots. The three SeeDs gazed at Desmen with cold glares, while his hand twitched over his spear, ready to draw at any moment.

“Lamis is correct. These confrontations don’t end well.” Alin walked over towards them, his steps sure until he was smack dab in the middle between Desmen and the White SeeDs. It was a risky move, but both he and Lamis knew from experience the White SeeDs were less likely to try anything if there were other SeeDs in the line of fire. “Please just return to your ship or go wherever you intended to go.”

The SeeD in the middle, a slim young man with curly dark hair, gestured to Desmen. “We had no intention of speaking with him. However, his hostility remains-”

“And you’re surprised?” Over from a neighboring dock, Momo’s voice rang out. She skirted around crates and boxes until she made it onto their dock. Blatantly ignoring the disdainful looks she was given, she marched right up to the middle SeeD until she was nose to nose with him. “You do realize that half the time _you’re_ the ones who start with shouting something along the lines of ‘sorceress spawn,’ right?”

 “Because he is.”

Alin tensed, waiting for Momo to strike. She seemed ready to, as her fist was curled up in a ball. He saw from the corner of his eye Lamis put a hand on Desmen’s shoulder, preventing him from retaliating.

“And you’re all a bunch of paranoid sorceress murderers,” Momo fired back. “But you don’t hear me calling you that every time I see you.”

“Watch your mouth!” a second SeeD said, her nose scrunched in offense.

“Oh shove it.” Momo crossed her arms, glancing back and forth between the SeeDs. “I’m not a SeeD, remember? I don’t have to be nice to you.” Though she was being relatively calm, her temper was only thinly veiled. The rage in her eyes said for her what she wouldn’t speak.

Whatever would have been said further, one could only speculate. Michi and Kevan showed up just before the curly haired SeeD could retaliate.

“That’s enough!” Kevan pulled Momo away from the SeeDs, giving them a warning glare before pushing her towards where Alin was. “We’re leaving.”

“And I suggest you do the same,” Alin said to the SeeDs.

Neither side said a word to each other as they turned around and walked in opposite directions. Lamis had to forcefully push Desmen away, and snapped at him whenever he tried to turn around, “Don’t even think about it!”

“I was wondering when you two would show up,” Momo muttered under her breath, referring to Michi and Kevan.

“We saw Taw and Yasu on our way here. We told them to find Bianca and get her to the Ragnarok.” Michi sighed sadly. “You know how she gets when she sees them.”

“Thank you for doing that,” Alin said to Michi. “I really didn’t want to stop her from shooting at them again.”

Lamis elbowed Desmen before he could speak. “Yes, we know. ‘They deserve to be shot.’”

Momo glared darkly into the distance. “They _do._ ”

“Let’s just get back to the ship, please?” Michi glanced at everyone, her eyes wide and soft in pleading. “I don’t like talking about them. It brings out the worst in everyone.”

With short nods, the others complied with Michi’s begging, and the SeeDs weren’t mentioned again on the walk back to the Ragnarok. Not surprisingly, though, the trip back was very quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tension between Desmen and the White SeeDs will be explained more next chapter. For now I'll preface it with this: the White SeeDs continue to fight sorceresses. This is evident in Disc 4 when Squall and the party see their bodies littered below Ultimecia's castle. The regular SeeDs' battle with the Sorceress may be over, but for the White SeeDs, it's only just beginning. With that said, imagine their reaction when it was learned that Rinoa was a sorceress. And when Desmen was born, well, things got a little ugly...


	17. Mayday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As if things weren't bad enough, Cyder decides to make everyone's day ten times worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, sorry! This is way later than usual. Mid-terms and life happened, and I completely forgot to update. Luckily I'm on break now, so the next update should be on time!

Squall never heralded himself as the most skilled observer of human nature, but even _he_ knew that something was bothering Yasu and Taw. The two brothers, who were usually sniping at one another or exchanging stupid remarks, were eerily quiet as they handed out sandwiches and salads.

An expert he might not be, but Squall could easily surmise something, assumedly bad, had happened in Dollet based on the following:

  1. Yasu and Taw had returned alone, save for Bianca who they had practically dragged on board.
  2. They had returned alone with almost all of the food and with no explanation as to why.
  3. Actually, they hadn’t given an explanation for _anything_ so far.
  4. Bianca had no idea why, either. She seemed as perplexed as Squall and the rest of the parents.



The above four points could only equal trouble. Though the brothers were usually quieter than the rest of the gang, especially in comparison to the chatty Bianca and the always active Momo, they weren’t usually _this_ quiet to the point where they were dodging questions.

Something was wrong. It was making Squall grow more nervous by the minute.

He could read the same rising fear in Rinoa. She seemed calm on the surface, merely staring at the boarding ramp and keeping out of the interrogation of Yasu and Taw. Occasionally she would glance over at Raijin, Selphie and Zell, who were doing their best to pester answers of out of the boys, but for the most part she seemed almost uninterested.

That in itself was a sign she was worried. Rinoa was always naturally curious; it used to drive Squall nuts. Now, he had come to expect it from her and even admire it, not that he would admit to it.

“It’s Desmen,” she murmured a little while later. Squall glanced at her curiously, wondering where this revelation had come from.

“Why do you say that?” he asked quietly, as to not be overheard by the others.

“I don’t know,” she admitted with a frown. “I just feel like something’s happened to him. I’m worried.”

Squall scowled, though it wasn’t aimed at Rinoa. It was more to do with the worry that welled up the moment she mentioned Desmen. The logical part of Squall’s mind argued that the chances of something happening in Dollet of all places were minimal. Granted, maybe things changed over the years between his time and now, but he doubted that.

Yet there was this part of him that ignored his logic and whispered many “what ifs” into his mind: what if Cyder had found them? What if there had been an accident? What if there was some unseen side effect of Desmen’s imprisonment only coming to light now?

There was so much that could have gone wrong. Squall cursed out loud as he got to his feet.

“Where are you going?” Rinoa asked.

“To find him. I knew I shouldn’t have let them go out alone.” Quistis had gone running off after Lamis, so surely he was allowed to go running off after Desmen. It was a childish argument, but at the moment Squall didn’t care.

Before he could go chasing off after his son, the ramp opened. He paused and waited for it to lower all the way. Relief hit him like a punch to the gut when he saw Desmen climb up the ramp, unharmed and safe.

His son’s eyes lifted and met his, and right away Squall realized that although Desmen wasn’t injured, something had happened. There was a smoldering emotion in his eyes which Squall could only chalk up as hate.

Words failed him, as they usually did. He wanted to ask Desmen what was wrong, and why all the kids that just came on board were so quiet, but he couldn’t. Something held him back.

Bianca beat him to it. Pushing past Yasu and Taw, she only needed to take one look at Desmen before she said, “The White SeeDs were in Dollet?”

Kevan sighed. “Unfortunately. Desmen ran into them. We barely avoided a fight.”

“So that’s why you dragged me here,” Bianca said, shooting a glare at the brothers.

“You fired at their ship last time and punctured it,” Alin pointed out matter-of-factly. “We really didn’t want another repeat.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits. “Of course,” she said dryly. “Wouldn’t want to ruin our image, now would we?”

“Don’t even start with that,” Alin snapped, making their parents raise their brows in surprise.

Even Desmen was temporarily distracted from his thoughts as he turned towards Alin. “What the heck?”

“They got into a fight,” Lamis explained when the twins remained silent, content to glare at each other instead of answering.

From the back of the room a bark of laughter was heard. Everyone turned to find Seifer chuckling to himself. “This is great,” he said. “We leave you alone for a little while and the twins get into what’s probably a fight over something stupid and _you,_ ” He pointed at Desmen. “try to take on a bunch of trained mercenaries alone. Did anything _else_ happen?”

Momo bit her bottom lip and glanced away sheepishly. “I, uh, technically assaulted a merchant and threatened that same bunch of trained mercenaries.”

Quistis slapped her hand to her forehead as Seifer broke out into more laughter.

“Wait, wait.” Zell scratched his head, looking back and forth between the kids. “Okay, so some stuff happened. We’re all tense. I can understand the fight, sort of.” He smirked at Momo. “I could probably understand the assaulting the merchant bit with some explanation,” Then he looked at Desmen. “But what I don’t get is your deal with the White SeeDs.”

Desmen crossed his arms and glanced down at the floor, which reminded Squall of a similar posture he usually took when he was concentrating. He sighed softly and for the first time since his son came back said, “Did they do something to you?”

“A long time ago,” Desmen answered, still refusing to look at anyone. “When I was a baby, they… thought I was a potential threat.”

“What?” Rinoa leapt to her feet. “Why?” she demanded.

“Remember what Caraway said,” Lamis said, “during his broadcast? About how Desmen’s the only known child of a sorceress? Well, it’s true. Odine wanted to do a bunch of tests on him and a lot of higher-ups who knew about your powers were making a big fuss over him.”

Desmen continued, “The White SeeDs found out about your powers just a year or so earlier. They wanted to arrest you but Grandmother put her foot down and convinced them to leave you alone. However, when I was born, they pretty much barged into Balamb Garden and demanded that I be tested for any powers I might have somehow inherited.”

“We think they wanted to kill him on the spot,” Bianca spat as she crossed her arms. She was obviously angry just thinking about it, even though this happened a few years before she was even born. “I’m sure it crossed their minds.”

Squall clenched his jaw tightly in an attempt to fight the rage building inside. “What happened?”

Momo nodded at Squall. “You got pretty darn mad. Actually, I think you almost gutted a White SeeD or two before Cid intervened.”

“I don’t think it was quite that bad,” Michi added hastily, “but you were really upset. There were a lot of threats being made against both sides.”

“Eventually the White SeeDs backed off,” Lamis said with a shake of her head. “No one knew about Desmen’s magic resistance yet, so they weren’t able to do anything. Grandmother managed to talk them out of taking any action again, but things have been pretty sour since then.”

Seifer walked towards where most of the ship’s occupants were gathered, no longer feeling like staying outside the conversation. “Why did Cid even let those idiots inside Garden?” he asked as he stood next to Quistis. “They can’t just barge in. Unless the rule’s changed, no one who’s not a Balamb SeeD, staff or student is allowed inside Garden without permission unless they’re there to solicit SeeD’s services.”

The silence Seifer’s question was met with spoke volumes to Squall. It didn’t take a genius to piece together what had happened. “Cid let them in?” he said, his voice low.

Momo exchanged glances with Desmen before they both nodded hesitantly.

“There was a big blow-out about that, too,” Lamis added with a sigh. “I mean, it’s not like he knew _why_ they requested permission to visit Garden. I doubt he would have let them in if he did. However, from what we’ve been told, you ripped Cid a new one about that. Actually, that incident is what made you retire as Balamb’s Commander.”

“That explains it, then,” Rinoa said with a pensive frown. “I wondered what would have made you leave Garden.”

“I figured it was something to do with you or sorceresses.” Squall scratched his head. It made sense; if anything would have made him leave Garden, it would have been something pertaining to his job as a knight. “I always thought I’d quit to protect you, not our child.”

Desmen offered his rather confused-looking father a soft smile. “I think you were doing both when you left. Your job would have interfered with your duty as a knight eventually.”

And that was really all that mattered when it came down to it. Squall wasn’t disheartened at all to learn he left his life as a SeeD if it meant keeping his family safe. It was certainly a far cry from the person he used to be. The thought of it made him smirk slightly.

“Right, now that’s all taken care of, can we get going?” Momo asked impatiently. “I’m hungry and we have a man to hunt down!”

Seifer rolled his eyes. “Fine. Let’s go before she whines more.”

As Seifer narrowly dodged a chakram to the face, Bianca began strolling towards the elevator. “I’ll start ‘er up,” she said with a wave of her hand. Before she left though, she decided to shoot one more glare at her brother before leaving, reminding him and everyone else that she was still quite angry.

Alin ran a hand over his face. “This is going to be an awkward flight.”

~*~

Though it was certainly uncomfortable for Alin, everyone else (save Selphie and Irvine, who were dumbstruck as to how to handle this fight between their children) ignored the tension between the twins. While food was passed out and consumed, it was decided that they would head northwards in their search for Cyder.

“The Trabia continent,” Lamis mused as she looked out the windshield. The snow-covered continent wasn’t in view yet, but she could already picture its sharp peaks and frozen tundra. “Do we have coats? I’m not going out there without them.”

“Kevan and Michi went back to get them,” Yasu said as he finished the last of his sandwich. “There should be enough for everyone.”

Raijin chuckled to himself as he glanced at the elevator. “Why did we let the couple go get the coats? They might be gone awhile, ya kno-”

Seifer glared at Raijin as Zell aimed a kick at him. “Shut it!” they both snapped.

“I don’t want to think about that,” Zell added, ignoring Raijin’s howls of pain.

Selphie peered out the window, straining her eyes in hope of catching the first glimpse of the place she called home for years. “Do you really think Cyder’s going to be in Trabia?”

“Worth a look,” Taw said with a shrug. “Might be keen to hide there since there’s hardly anyone up there save for Trabia Garden and the Shumi.”

“Wasn’t there also an incident up there involving him?” Rinoa asked. “When we first came here, Nida said something about some SeeDs from Trabia being killed.”

“That’s right,” Bianca said with a narrowing of her eyes. “He took out some good SeeDs.”

“We’ll get back at him for that,” Alin said, reaching over and giving Bianca’s shoulder a squeeze. “For them and for everyone he’s hurt.”

“Don’t touch me.” Bianca dipped her shoulder down and away from Alin.

Irvine slammed his hands on the radio board in a rare display of temper. “Okay, you two. Seriously. What the hell happened that-”

The ship shook violently and lurched forward, sending everyone toppling and falling from their seats. Bianca gripped the steering apparatus tightly as the control panel began flashing red and the warning sirens went off.

“What’s happening?” Quistis said, her voice barely audible above the cacophony.

Momo stumbled to the panel and was thrown against it when the ship lurched again. More panels on the control board lit up in red. Her eyes quickly scanned over the panels, trying to ascertain what was happening.

Her eyes widened when she read over the panels that indicated the engines’ statuses. “Oh no…”

“What?” Bianca gripped Momo’s arm. “What’s wrong?”

Momo slowly turned her head towards Irvine. “Send out a mayday call. We’re gonna crash…” Her voice was eerily calm; it almost sounded like she was in shock.

Zell, however, was not. “WHAT?” He tried getting to his feet, but the Ragnarok was shaking and lurching too hard for him to stand without holding onto something. “What do you mean we’re gonna crash?”

“The left engine’s blown!” Momo screamed, having snapped out of her shock. “The ship needs both engines to stay aloft! The left one’s been damaged too badly!”

Irvine quickly adjusted the dials to send out a call for help, though it was difficult with the ship shaking so hard. Alin went over to help him. As father and son began sending out a mayday, Momo suddenly glanced at the elevator. “Michi and Kevan…”

Despite the rocking motion, Momo did her best to run towards the lift in order to warn her sister and Kevan. “I have to get to them!” She shoved past Seifer and Zell as they tried to stop her and ignored everyone’s demands for her to stay put as she got on the lift and went down below.

“Momo!” Desmen called out. As he considered chasing after her, the ship lurched again, and this time they could feel their stomachs clench as they began to descend rapidly.

Bianca gripped the steering stick as hard as she could and with Selphie’s help, aimed the ship towards the Trabia Continent, which they were now fast approaching.

“What are we aiming for?” Squall shouted as more sirens began blaring.

“The snow plains!” Selphie answered. “It’s better than the open water!”

The ship shuddered as it continued to plummet towards the ground. Bianca and Selphie kept pulling harder and harder, even as the power went out and the emergency lights kicked on.

With the power out, it was quiet in the bridge save for the rush of wind outside. Family and friends were holding onto each other for dear life as the snow on the ground below came closer and closer.

Mother and daughter gave the steering one last good yank before hugging each other and screaming, “Hang onto something!” before the Ragnarok finally crashed into the ground, sending debris, snow, and people flying in its wake.


	18. Unbreakable bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Convictions and bonds are tested in the midst of a blizzard. Some will pull through, while one is driven to the brink of despair.

The snow blew around him, tossing his dark chestnut hair around as flakes got caught in between the strands. Squall winced as he slowly lifted up his head, his eyes narrowed in the howling winds. He was afraid to move anymore, unsure of the injuries he might have sustained. His back ached from the impact, but he didn’t feel anything else at the moment.

 _Then again, my body might be so numb from the cold that I can’t feel anything._ Squall gritted his teeth and pushed himself up onto his knees. His arms shook from the cold, but he ignored the bitter chill as he glanced at his body. To his surprise, aside from a few sure bruises and cuts he was unharmed.

As he peered through the wind, he realized he couldn’t say the same for the Ragnarok. Despite the low visibility, it was easy to make out the red hulk of airship in the distance, lying on its side like an exhausted animal. Parts of it were strewn across the plains, and smoke was steadily rising from the engine that had been blown out.

Cautiously Squall got to his feet and stood erect. _What made the engine explode like that?_ He wasn’t a mechanic, but he knew that engines didn’t just combust on their own.

He wrapped his arms around his torso as he began walking towards the ship, hoping Desmen and Rinoa were inside. His steps were slow but steady, and after about ten minutes of walking he could begin to see the details of the damage sustained to the ship: the windshield was blown out, there were various scrapes and holes along the tail, one of the arms was gone, and the loading platform had been ripped out from the collision.

In short, the Ragnarok was totaled. Though Squall was sure Momo and the mechanics at Esthar were still going to attempt to repair it, he wasn’t sure if there was any chance of saving the ship.

 _Damn it,_ he cursed mentally as he looked around, trying to spot any sign of the others. He couldn’t hear anything above the wind screaming past his ears and relying on sight was a poor idea. He could barely see ten feet in front of him.

A sharp jab of emotion tore through him, though it wasn’t his own. His head snapped up, and though he couldn’t see her, Squall immediately took off running in Rinoa’s direction. The jolt of feeling he felt was hers, and their connection as sorceress and knight was leading him towards where she was.

Running past the Ragnarok, he kept his sight trained in front of him, trying desperately to make out her form in the blinding gusts. The snow was difficult to run in, but Squall was able to plow through it, thanks to all his years of endurance training.

Finally, after running for what felt like forever, Squall saw two masses of dark hair in the distance. The surge of relief and adrenaline propelled him forward as he called out his girlfriend and son’s names.

Suddenly, an enormous jet of fire shot out towards them from the left. Squall hollered as the stream slammed into Rinoa and Desmen. He leapt towards them, though he was too late to stop the blast.

As the flames dissipated, which they did quickly in the harsh wintry winds, he found Desmen crouched in front of Rinoa. They were both unharmed thanks to Desmen’s magic resistance.

With his family safe, Squall turned towards the direction of the blast. A figure approached them through the falling snow, and it wasn’t until he was merely two yards away from them that they could see who it was.

Squall’s fist clenched at his side as he went to confront Cyder. “You took down the Ragnarok.” It wasn’t a question; he couldn’t think of who or what else could have brought the ship down like that. Plus, it couldn’t be a coincidence that they crashed and Cyder just happened to be there at the same time.

“I did,” Cyder said. “It was a magnificent ship, but it made things a little too easy for you.”

Desmen hurried to Squall’s side. “Dad, stay back.” He shook his head, cutting off any protest Squall could make. “You’re not armed.”

“He has a point,” their enemy remarked with a smirk. “You’d do no good here.”

“Stay back with Mom. I can handle him.” Desmen stepped towards Cyder, drawing out his spear.

Logically, Squall knew that participating in the battle would only make him a hindrance. An unarmed warrior was a liability. Training had taught him to stay back and let the armed ones do the fighting. But this was his _son_ ; surely this was an exception to that rule?

In a flash, Cyder was gone. Desmen spun on his heel and barely met an incoming strike to his side. His opponent drew out a long pole from under his cloak, which turned into a scythe with a flick of his wrist.

Blue and brown eyes widened at once as the scythe swung and narrowly missed Desmen’s head. Their son was sent stumbling back after diving to dodge the swing. He landed near his mother, quickly getting back on his feet so Cyder didn’t try to attack him with Rinoa so close to him.

He charged at him and swung as spear tip met scythe blade. Blows were deflected and parried as the two of them clashed, none gaining an advantage over the other.

To help out, Rinoa fired off a spell at Cyder, knocking him back and giving Desmen an opening. He took it, and his spear cut into Cyder’s shoulder. Drawing back, Desmen was about to deliver a swift knockout blow when Cyder suddenly dissolved in front of him.

“What the?”

The real Cyder appeared behind him, and Squall didn’t even have time to yell for Desmen to watch out before he struck.

Blood spurted out from the wound in Desmen’s back, dotting the pure white ground with red. From behind him, Rinoa called on her Angel Wings and rushed towards Desmen, using them to shield him from any further blows.

“You think your magic can resist mine?” Cyder leapt back and held out his hand, where a ball of magical energy began to form.

 _Rinoa… Desmen…_ Squall hadn’t felt so helpless since Rinoa had been in a coma. Without his gunblade and no helpful magic on him, there was nothing he could do. _Damn it, damn it, I need to think of something!_

As the ball of energy grew larger and Rinoa held Desmen closer, raw terror climbed up Squall’s throat and he nearly screamed at his helplessness. _I’m a knight. I’m a SeeD. I’m a_ father. _God, there has to be something I can do!_

The scene before him wavered, and when Squall narrowed his eyes, it disappeared completely. Replacing the terrifying scene and the blustery snow was a warm house. Rinoa was on the floor in front of a fireplace, holding a very young Desmen in her lap. He couldn’t have been more than a year old, or maybe even less. Squall was terrible at guessing ages, and the vision was hazy.

Rinoa looked up at him, her eyes soft with a few more lines around the edges. “ _Look who’s home!_ ” she said to the baby, pointing at Squall.

Desmen’s wide blue eyes glanced over at where his mother was pointing, and instantly smiled when he saw his father. He cooed and giggled, holding out his arms towards Squall.

The would-be memory vanished, and Squall found himself back in Trabia. However, seeing the memory restored his strength and courage that had been lost. Without knowing how or why he could, Squall lifted up his arm and called on his gunblade. In a lightless flash, Lionheart appeared in his open palm.

He wasted no time. With Lionheart drawn back, Squall ran at Cyder full speed past his sorceress and son. Gold and yellow shot out from him as he unleashed Renzokuken just before Cyder unleashed his attack. He swung and struck him mercilessly, and when he pulled back he lifted his gunblade up in the air, summoning a beam before bringing it down on Cyder’s head, hitting him with a dose of Blasting Zone.

Cyder crawled backwards, wounded and bleeding from the attack. Squall chased after him, determined to cut him down. Unfortunately, before he could reach Cyder, the magic-wielder disappeared in the same manner as on the Ragnarok.

Squall skidded to a halt. Though he knew Cyder was gone, his eyes scanned the area around him just in case. Seeing nothing but snow, he sighed in irritation and sheathed Lionheart. “Next time,” he murmured.

He turned and hurried back to Rinoa and Desmen, who was in the process of being healed by a series of Curagas. Squall bent down next to them. “You okay?”

Rinoa merely nodded, not looking at him.

Squall was about to smile when her hand lashed out and smacked him on the arm. Hard. He flinched at the pain, amplified by the cold and draining adrenaline.

“Don’t you ever do that again!” Rinoa scolded him. “You scared the life out of me!” Her eyes smoldered with anger and worry. “I mean, you just went charging at him and-”

He broke off her admonishment with a kiss, a two-pronged attempt to spare himself from a lecture and to apologize. When he pulled back, he dryly noted, “You’re one to talk.”

“Can you save the argument for later?” Desmen asked from below.

Rinoa and Squall helped him sit up, and both of them were relieved to see that his injury was patched up, thanks to Rinoa’s magic. He glanced over at Squall and said, “You’re an idiot, you know that?”

“Where do you think you get it from?” Squall retorted.

He was met with another smack on the arm, courtesy of Rinoa. She got to her feet, brushing the snow off of her. “If you’re done taking jabs at each other, we need to start searching for everyone.”

“Right,” both men mumbled.

~*~

Unaware of the battle that had just taken place, Bianca slowly climbed out of the ship. It was difficult, since her left wrist had been twisted when they crashed. She hopped down and landed on the ground, falling to her knees. She held her injured wrist close to her body as she looked around, trying to find any sign of life.

“Guys?” she called out. Her voice was lost in the wind, so she didn’t bother to try again. Swallowing back her terror, Bianca began walking, sticking close to the wrecked ship. Running off into the blizzard would only result in death, especially with an injury and no means of surviving out in the wilderness.

Her body was hunched over from the cold, and Bianca began to wonder if frostbite would set in. _I really don’t feel like losing any toes or fingers,_ she thought morosely as she rubbed her good hand against her other one to keep them warm.

As she walked towards the front of the ship, she saw one of the arms had been detached and was stretched out on the ground a good few yards away. “Geez,” Bianca murmured sadly. “I can’t believe how badly damaged the ship is.”

Bianca was starting to walk around the ship when she glanced back at the arm, and through a gap in the wind noticed something was beneath it. She walked a few paces closer, and realized that it was a pair of legs sticking out from beneath it.

She recognized the brown combat boots as her brother’s.

“ALIN!” she screamed as she sprinted towards the arm. Propelled by sheer terror and fear for her brother’s life, Bianca quickly circled around the arm and ran towards where her brother’s head, arms and torso were sticking out.

She slid to a halt next to him, going down on her hand and knees. “Alin!” she shouted. “Alin!”

He slowly lifted up his head, revealing a large scrape sprinkled with snow going down the left side of his face. “Bi…?”

Choking out a sob in relief because he was lucky to even be _alive_ , Bianca crawled closer to him, trying to see if there was a way to pull him out. “Are you hurt badly?”

“I don’t know. I can’t feel much.”

 _Oh God._ Bianca tried to control the shakiness in her hand as she reached beneath the arm to see if there was any blood on Alin’s back. _Please don’t tell me it’s paralysis. Please._  

She shook her head at herself. _I can’t go assuming the worst. I need to get this off of him first._ Her fingers skimmed lightly across his back, but she couldn’t feel any blood. _That’s a good sign._

“Okay.” Bianca looked back at Alin. “I’m gonna try to lift this off of you.”

Alin narrowed his eyes at her skeptically. “Bianca, there’s no way you can-”

“Shut up.” Bianca reached under with her good hand and began to lift up. “I… have to get you… out of here,” she said in between tugging at the arm.

Alin watched as Bianca pulled and pulled on the arm, trying to get it to lift. He squirmed and struggled to move, but he couldn’t budge even an inch. He sighed, and resigned to his fate, said, “Bianca, get out of here and find the others. Just leave me here, okay?”

She stopped pulling for a moment, looking down at her twin in shock. “What? Are you a moron? I’m not leaving you!” Taking a step back, she then rammed her back and shoulders against the arm, trying to push it up instead of pull. “Not even for a second!”

“Bianca…”

She gritted her teeth as she continued to push against the arm, her legs shaking from the strain. “Damn it…” she said, wincing in pain. Despite the sharp stings in her back from pushing against the arm, Bianca kept on putting her back into it.

Seeing her pain, Alin shouted, “STOP IT!”

“LIFT UP, DAMN IT!” Bianca screamed, her eyes screwed shut as she exerted more force.

Then suddenly she felt someone else push against the arm. The twins turned their heads to find their father pushing against the arm with Bianca.

“Dad!” Bianca said in relief. “Where’s Mom?”

Irvine jerked his head towards the side. Bianca leaned over to see where he was pointing. She spotted Selphie in the distance, jumping up and down and waving her arms at someone. Her back was turned away from her family, so Bianca was sure the jumping and arm waving wasn’t for them.

Suddenly, Selphie started running towards them. In the distance, Bianca could faintly see four figures following behind her. As they got closer, she finally recognized them as Lamis, Quistis, Zell and Seifer.

“Hurry!” Quistis said to everyone as they ran towards the arm.

Lamis knelt down next to Alin. “Hang in there,” she said to him, squeezing his arm comfortingly.

Quistis gestured to Zell and Seifer to stand on opposite sides of Alin. “We need to distribute the strength equally.” She turned to Selphie. “Can you pull Alin out once we lift this?”

Selphie nodded, taking Lamis’ spot next to Alin as the redhead got up to help with the lifting.

“All right.” Quistis stood next to Seifer and Bianca, while Lamis stepped in between Irvine and Zell. “Everyone, on three. One, two… three!”

With all their might, the SeeDs pushed and pulled the arm. Slowly, the arm began to budge and after almost a full minute of constant strain and effort, they managed to lift the arm up a few inches. Selphie looped her arms under Alin’s shoulders and pulled him out. She yanked until he was free and far away from the wreckage. Once he was a safe distance away, everyone stepped back and let the arm drop unceremoniously to the snow-covered ground.

“Can you sit up?” Selphie asked Alin worriedly.

He grunted, pushing his body up off the ground with his arms. Carefully and gingerly he let his weight rest on his knees. “I think so,” he said as he leaned back to kneel. “I can feel everything so I… think I’m all right. Back hurts like hell though.”

Hurried footsteps crunched through the snow towards him. Alin barely had time to turn around before his sister slid and threw her good arm around him. He almost choked at how tightly she was hugging him. “Bi-”

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

Sighing softly against her hair, Alin returned her hug, understanding what she was apologizing about. “It’s okay. I was out of line.”

“I know.”

Alin almost rolled his eyes at her presumptuousness until she added, “But so was I. It wasn’t worth getting so mad about. A cutie is just a cutie. You’re my brother, always. I just tend to forget that.”

In spite of the cold and the rather ominous situation they were facing, Alin couldn’t help but smile as he gave his sister a squeeze, thankful that one good thing would come out of this mess.

~*~

Inside the Ragnarok, Momo, Kevan, Yasu and Taw had hunkered down in the passenger deck, or what was left of it. They had decided to stay inside and stay put, instead of wandering out and risk getting lost in the blizzard. While huddling together to stay warm, they heard voices coming from outside.

Yasu scrambled to his feet and peered out the door. His eyes darted around the corridor, looking for any signs of movement amongst the rubble. From the direction of the gangway, he saw a pair of muscled black arms shove aside some debris. His father stepped through the small clearing he managed to make, with Fujin following close behind.

“Mom, Dad!” Yasu said in relief as he hurried over to help them through.

“Hey! You and Taw okay?” Raijin asked as his foot got caught on a stray wire, and stumbled to keep himself from falling over.

Upon hearing his name, Taw poked his head out and grinned. “We’re fine. We got lucky and got cushioned when we landed. Momo and Kevan are here, too.”

Fujin walked inside the passenger deck to see them for herself. Though her children’s safety was understandably her first concern, she was worried about everyone else as well. She nodded and smiled when she saw Momo and Kevan on the floor. “Injuries?”

“Not really.” Momo flexed her arm. “Banged up my arm a bit during the crash, but nothing else.”

Taw pointed to a small gash on his arm, along with a few other cuts. “Nothing major. The bleeding stopped, probably because it’s so damn cold.”

“I’m fine,” Kevan answered, seemingly distracted as he added, “Have you seen anyone else?”

Fujin shook her head. “No. We wanted to grab those coats you and Michi were getting and hand them out as we found everyone. We’ll freeze without them.”

Raijin nudged Kevan with his elbow. “What happened to Michi?”

“I don’t know.” Kevan stood up and pointed towards the gaping hole in the front of the passenger deck. “That blew open during the descent. We tried hanging on while the ship was going down, but when we crashed we tumbled everywhere and…” He blew out a breath in frustration. “I can’t remember.”

Momo got to her feet as well, though her gaze was riveted to the floor. “I was trying to get to you guys. I only made it to the bottom of the elevator before we made impact.”

Kevan sighed at her. “I wish you hadn’t attempted it,” he said. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but it was dangerous.”

She looked up at him, her eyes hardened in determination. “I had to try. But this isn’t the time to be arguing. We have to find Michi. She probably went out that way,” she said, nodding to the hole.

“The coats are in here.” Kevan walked over to a compartment built into the side of the wall, which thankfully hadn’t been damaged much during the crash. He pulled it open, revealing several winter coats hanging up on the coat rack, with a few on the floor, no doubt having fallen over from the impact.

Fujin walked over and grabbed one, pulling it on before grabbing a couple more. “You two put one on. We’ll grab some for the others and start searching for them.”

As she gestured for Raijin and the boys to come help her, Momo and Kevan donned two jackets as per Fujin’s demand, making sure to zipper up. Momo giggled at the black coat she was wearing, which was far too big for her and fell past her waist. “I think this might be one of Seifer’s.”

“Just don’t tell him that,” Kevan said dryly. “We’d never hear the end of it.”

Once everyone was dressed, Taw turned to his family and said, “I’m gonna help them look for Michi. You guys okay on your own?”

As Yasu tossed a couple coats over his arms, he frowned at Taw. “I’m not sure if I want you going out there.”

Taw threw his hands out at his sides in exasperation. “Damn it, I can handle myself. I’m not gonna get lost.”

“We’ll stay close together, I promise,” Momo said, offering Yasu an encouraging smile.

Fujin nodded, cutting off any possible protests from Yasu. “We’ll rendezvous back here. Come back if you find her or if it gets too cold.” Fujin aimed her son and the other two kids a stern frown. “I mean it.”

Taw mumbled under his breath, but consented after Yasu gave him a sound whack on the arm.

“Same with you guys,” Kevan said. “Be careful.”

They parted ways, with Raijin, Fujin and Yasu going back into the airship to begin their search there, while Momo, Kevan and Taw hopped out of the gaping hole and into the storm.

“B – Brrr,” Momo said as she shivered in her coat. “Stupid Trabian weather.”

Kevan, undeterred by the storm, began trudging through the snow, aiming his sharp eyes left and right, searching for the familiar cascade of blonde hair. It was extremely difficult to see anything in the raging winds, and his eyes began to sting from the strain and from the cold.

He forced himself to look towards the ground instead. _Maybe I can catch her footprints,_ he hoped as he began to wander from the ship. With the gusts blowing the snow around, it was unlikely he’d find any tracks unless they were brand new, but he had to try.

 _Where could she have gone?_ Michi was a good SeeD, and she certainly wasn’t stupid enough to go wandering about on her own into the storm. Training would have told her to go back towards the ship. _But what if she had been knocked so far away that she couldn’t see it?_

It was a possibility, but as Kevan looked around, he noticed debris scattered all over the plains. _No, she would have seen this and followed it back here. And she was inside the ship with me until we crashed, so she couldn’t have gone_ that _far._

He sighed, and the breath that blew from his mouth formed in the air in front of him. The wind quickly blew it away, scattering its molecules and making it disappear as quickly as it had appeared. Kevan watched it dissipate, his eyes turning to where the wind had taken it.

Something in the direction of his gaze caught his attention. On the ground, he spotted something small and bright. Curious, and hoping it was some clue as to Michi’s whereabouts, Kevan hurried over towards it, the snow crunching beneath his feet as he trudged.

He reached it and bent down to examine it. It was a small red dot. His fingertip grazed the surface of the dot, and he was surprised for a moment to find the substance stuck to his finger. He rubbed it in between his thumb, and it was then that his brain kicked in and he realized what it was.

Blood.

His head snapped up, and he spotted a trail leading away from him. In the corner of his vision he saw Momo and Taw staring at him, and he summoned them over with a wave of his hand. Not giving them the chance to catch up, Kevan took off towards the blood he saw further away as dread began to settle in his gut.

The closer he got to it, the more he could see, and there was plenty of it. By the time he reached it, he found a sizable pool coating the ground. There was snow over it, beginning to freeze it, but its bright red hue was visible nonetheless. His heart began to accelerate as he stared at it. _This can’t be… it isn’t-_

He took another step forward, and his foot pressed on something hard. It was half-buried beneath the snow, whatever it was. Kevan stooped down and grabbed it, yanking it out of the snow. As soon as he realized what it was he was holding, he almost dropped it again.

It was Michi’s staff. There was blood coating parts of it, the rest having been soaked up by the snow. Now there could be no doubt as to whose blood it was. Somewhere out there, Michi was injured and bleeding – and possibly dead.

“Oh my God…” Momo’s voice drifted from behind Kevan. She walked up next to him, her eyes wide in horror as she stared down at her sister’s blood, and then at the polearm that Kevan was holding. “Michi… is she…”

Kevan couldn’t stop his arms from shaking as he pictured his girlfriend, who had given him the happiest three years of his life since he came to Balamb at age six, bleeding and left for dead somewhere out in the tundra.

_Not her. Don’t take her away from me, too._

His one arm only stopped shuddering when Taw gripped it in his hand. “Kevan?”

“God, no.” Kevan’s whole body then started trembling as he gripped the polearm in both hands. “No, no, no…”

_I have to find her. I’ve got to-_

“Kevy?” Momo stepped in front of him, her tone worried as she used her old nickname for him.

“I won’t lose her, too. I won’t.” Kevan’s head bowed before he yelled, “NO!”

He yanked his hand out of Taw’s arm and sped past Momo as he took off into the storm, throwing reason and safety out the window as he ran, half-crazed. “MICHI!”

“KEVAN!” Momo screamed after him, but even if he could have heard her above the wind, he would not have turned back, and she knew it. She turned to Taw and said, “Go back and get everyone! Tell them what we found!”

Taw’s mouth dropped. “But, if you go after him-”

“I know it’s stupid, but I can’t leave him alone out there, not with the way he is!” Momo inhaled deeply before turning on her heel and chasing off after Kevan. “Hurry up, Taw!” she called over her shoulder before she disappeared into the storm.

“Mo…” But she was already gone, and Taw sighed heavily. “Fuck.” He pulled up his hood and took off in the opposite direction, plowing through the snow as fast as he could.

~*~

Meanwhile, everyone else had converged just in front of the ship. Coats had been handed out, and injuries had been healed with Cure spells. For the most part, no one had been seriously injured in the blast, not even Alin who had been pinned underneath one of the large arms. There were still some sore body parts and scrapes, but overall, they had been extremely lucky, or so they thought.

“I can’t believe you didn’t break your back,” Lamis said to Alin as they huddled together, waiting to hear from the three kids who had gone out to search for Michi. “Or your neck.”

Alin shook his head. “I can’t believe none of us got killed.”

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Seifer reminded him as he crossed his arms over his chest. The gesture made him seem like he was irritated, but in truth he was more than likely doing it just because he was freezing, like everyone else. “Does anyone know where the fuck we are exactly?”

Bianca shrugged. “We were more towards the north when the engine blew, so I imagine we may be in the northern section of the continent. Unfortunately, that means we’re probably not close to Trabia Garden.”

“But we are close to Shumi Village,” Quistis said. “I think the best thing to do is wait inside the ship until this storm passes, and then get our bearings.”

Everyone began to nod in assent. Seifer nodded as well, approving of the idea until he suddenly paused and glanced towards the west. He frowned as he said, “Someone’s coming this way, and they look panicked.”

The others turned and watched as Taw sprinted towards them, his chest heaving and his breathing labored. He stumbled to a stop right in front of them, leaning over to catch his breath.

“What happened?” Squall said, bending down to his height. Raijin and Fujin circled around Taw as Yasu kneeled next to Squall to look into his brother’s eyes.

“We – There was-” Taw cursed, his fist gripping his pant leg tightly. “Michi’s staff was buried in the snow. And… and there was blood.”

Zell took a step back in surprise. “What? Was there a lot?”

Taw nodded hesitantly. “There was a pool of it. It looked like she got hurt bad or something.”

“Who found her weapon?” Yasu asked Taw.

“Kevan.” Taw shook his head as Yasu winced, and some of the other kids groaned in dismay. “I know, I know. Worst thing that coulda happened. He _freaked_. Took off in some direction. Momo told me to find you guys and she took off after him. Didn’t want him out there alone.”

Seifer’s mouth hardened. “I think we can forget about hunkering down. We have to look for them.”

“We need to go now,” Lamis said as she pulled her hood over her head. “It’s bad enough they’re running around in a storm this severe, but if Momo has to be the calm one it could be disastrous.”

Taw nodded in agreement. “Kevan’s going to pull stupid shit. He’s worried and you know how he gets.”

Desmen began walking, grabbing Taw’s arm; he didn’t feel like wasting any time talking about it. “Let’s go then. Taw, you show us which way they went. We’ll have to hurry.” As the others began to follow him, he averted his gaze to the ground. “Michi might be dying, and Kevan…  I don’t want to contemplate what’ll happen to him if something happens to her.”


	19. Fracture and hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Momo and Kevan search for Michi in the storm; she clings to hope while he stares at the face of despair.

Momo felt like she had been chasing after Kevan for hours. Her legs ached, her back was screaming in pain, and her fingers felt like they were icicles. But she pressed on, determined to keep her “brother-in-law-in-training” in sight. It was bad enough that her sister was in danger; she didn’t need something happening to Kevan, too.

Specks of Michi’s blood were on her coat and pants. They had flown off from the polearm that Kevan was still holding. Momo tried not to think about it; it was both disturbing and horrifying to realize her sister’s blood was on her, even if it was only a couple of specks.

A while into the pursuit, Kevan accidentally stumbled over something. Momo took the chance and went from a run into a sprint. By the time he managed to get up and recover, she was next to him. She slid to a halt and grabbed his arm, keeping him from moving. “Kevan!”

He wouldn’t look at her right away. His eyes were trained on the ground. Momo gave his arm a shake, but he wouldn’t budge.

She dipped her head down, her next attempt to make him meet her gaze. She had to stoop down so low that the tips of her hair touched the ground, even though she had her hair up, save for the few braids that she had left hanging. She could feel the cold emanating from the snow, but she ignored it as she stared intently at Kevan, waiting for him to do something.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Kevan’s grip on the staff tighten, like it was his only tether to reality. His eyes were distant and far off; his mind was elsewhere.

 _He’s thinking about Michi._ Momo could only imagine the images he was conjuring in his mind. Though she was worried about his physical health, it was his state of mind she was most concerned with right now. “Kevan,” she said again, this time with more force in her voice.

Finally he looked up at her, but his eyes told her he still wasn’t all there. Momo felt her heart break at the pain she read in them. He was suffering terribly, and she didn’t know what to do or say to help him.

“Kevy…” Her voice was softer as she placed a hand on his cheek, both as a gesture of comfort and to make sure he didn’t look away. “I’m worried, too. I love her as much as you do. She’s my sister, and I… I don’t know what I’d do without her either.

“So… So, let’s go look for her. Together.” It might have been suicidal, and maybe she was setting them up for unspeakable heartbreak, but they had to try. Kevan wouldn’t go back to the ship, and she didn’t want to, either. Not with Michi out there, injured and alone. “Okay?”

Kevan nodded, to Momo’s relief. “I…”

“It’s okay,” she said, standing to her feet and helping him do the same. “Don’t worry. I won’t take off points for this,” she added jokingly, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

But he was gone again. Not physically, for Momo still had a grip on his arm, but his mind was absent from reality, turned towards the missing Michi who may or may not be alive.

Momo shook her head. _I have to keep it together,_ she thought as she began walking with Kevan. _If we both break down we’ll die out here._ She held back her tears and kept her chin set determinedly as they set off.

Her legs were still sore from all the running in the snow, but Momo ignored it. Pain was a good thing out here. It meant that they were still alive and had a chance. It might have been annoying, but Momo preferred the ache to numbness.

The pair trudged on, staying close together to keep warm as the storm howled. Momo tried to keep up conversation in order to keep them distracted from the cold and to make sure Kevan was still with her, though Kevan hadn’t said anything since they restarted their search.

“So, um, I was thinking of starting this project. I wanna build my own airship.” Momo chuckled nervously, though her voice shook from the chill. “Although now it’ll have to wait until after I repair the Ragnarok. But I think the repairs will be good stepping stones for me. Good experience before building a whole new one, you know?”

Suddenly, she felt Kevan’s arm hang back. When she turned her head, she saw that Kevan had stopped walking. He was standing still a couple feet behind her, his eyes staring straight at her. Momo turned to face him completely, not liking the determination she was suddenly seeing in his eyes and the crease in his brow.

“Momo, if we find her and she’s not…” Kevan grit his teeth, obviously struggling to force himself to continue. “If the worst happens, I want you to-”

“Stop it!” Momo snapped, not letting him finish what he was going to say. “She’ll be all right, okay?” Perhaps it was naïve of her, but Momo refused to contemplate that Michi was dead. Death was not an option, not until she saw Michi’s body with her own eyes. “We haven’t found her yet.”

He fell silent again, glancing away from her almost as if he were angry at her determination.

Sighing in frustration but refusing to give up, Momo walked back and grabbed his free hand. She yanked on it and pulled him with her. “C’mon, let’s just keep going.” She didn’t want to stay in one place for long, for the more they delayed, the more unlikely they were to find Michi or even get out of the tundra alive.

~*~

Time didn’t seem to exist out there. It was like a place consumed by Time Compression. What did a minute, an hour, a _day_ even mean? They were just measurements of an incomprehensible concept.

It certainly didn’t matter to Kevan. He could have been out there for days for all he knew, and he wouldn’t have blinked an eye. Then again, nothing seemed to faze him at the moment. His thoughts were centered on Michi, and the longer he went without finding her, the darker his thoughts became.

 _I’m not going on without her,_ he had decided. Perhaps it was cowardly or selfish or narrow-minded or maybe even pathetic, but he didn’t care. His future hinged on her being there; as far as he was concerned, her death would only result in his.

It was far from a healthy mindset, and a small part of him argued that it was not the end. But that voice grew quieter as the minutes ticked by, and the search yielded nothing. Hope was fading fast, and his will with it.

He glanced over at Momo, who was staring ahead determinedly. _I’m sorry,_ he thought as if she could hear him. Her optimism was astounding, and Kevan wished he had it. Nothing ever kept her down, not even in the worst of situations.

Though he had wanted to tell her his thoughts, he now realized that maybe it was better that she hadn’t heard them. It seemed she already had an idea of what he was going to say. As long as they were left unspoken, nothing was certain. Momo was doing everything she could to keep hope alive.

For a moment, Kevan allowed himself a small smile. _She would have made a great SeeD,_ he thought. She was strong, certainly stronger than he was. So far, she was the one who was making the decisions and getting them somewhere, even if they had no idea where that somewhere was.

Momo spun around suddenly, her eyes wide in surprise. Kevan frowned as her brow puckered; something was on her mind.

“I just thought of something,” she began. “There was no blood trail. I mean, you just took off in some direction. Aside from the blood we found by her weapon and the trail leading to the pool, there was nothing else.” Momo shook her head. “I don’t know why I didn’t notice that. Shouldn’t there have been _something_?”

Kevan blinked, realizing that Momo was right. “Could the snow have covered it up?”

“Maybe,” she said with a frown of her own. “But we found all of that blood, and you found that speck that led you to it. Why wasn’t that covered?”

The mystery helped ease the pain inside, although it certainly didn’t help them with figuring out what happened to Michi. “I… I don’t know,” he said.

Momo opened her mouth to comment, but suddenly she shut it and her eyes averted to something coming from behind Kevan. She took a step in that direction, her eyes squinting to see through the snow, which Kevan noticed was starting to lighten up.

“Whoa!” she said suddenly.

Kevan turned, and his mouth almost dropped when he caught sight of a Moomba hurrying towards them. It was easy to see its bright red fur and its large paws as they smacked against the piling snow. They both watched as the Moomba approached them, its breaths coming out in slight pants.

“H – Hey,” Momo greeted it, bending down to its height. “Are you lost?”

The Moomba shook its head. It pointed at Momo and Kevan. “Rrrr. Rrrrr.”

Momo pointed a finger to her. “Us?”

It nodded.

“It was looking for us,” Kevan said.

The Moomba nodded again, more enthusiastically. It lifted up its paws and held them apart. Keeping them that away, it then slid them through the air diagonally until they hit the ground. When they touched the ground, the Moomba jerked his paws apart. “Rrr!”

After taking a second to decipher the Moomba’s charades, Momo smacked her fist into the palm of her other hand. “Oh! Did you see our airship crash?”

The Moomba nodded again.

“So it came looking for us when it saw the ship crash.” Kevan glanced towards the direction of the ship. Unthinkingly, he gestured with his hand clutching Michi’s polearm. “There are more survivors that way.”

Instead of acknowledging what he said, the Moomba seemed more interested in the staff. It went up to it and sniffed it. Suddenly, he bounced up and down excitedly, pointing to the blood on the weapon.

Momo glanced at Kevan in confusion, and the older man shrugged.

The Moomba wiped up a bit of the blood and held up his paw, now smeared with some of Michi’s blood, and waved it around.

“Oh… OH!” Momo’s eyes widened. “That’s right! Moombas identify people and other creatures by their blood!”

 _That’s right,_ Kevan thought, almost chuckling as he remembered Michi going on about how Moombas sense of smell was so sharp, they could identify scents based on someone’s blood. She seemed so proud of them, as if they were her own-

“Wait.” His head snapped around as he looked at the Moomba. If he recognized Michi’s blood, then that had to mean… “You’ve smelled this blood before?”

The Moomba nodded.

Momo squealed. “Really?” She was grinning widely now that they had some tangible hope again. “Do you know where she is?”

The Moomba pointed in the direction it had come from, and beckoned the pair to follow him. “Rrr. Rrrr!”

Kevan nodded, allowing himself to hope again for the first time in… well, he still wasn’t sure how long it had been, but right now he didn’t care. “Lead the way,” he said.

~*~

Adrenaline was the only thing keeping them going. That, and hope. The Moomba was fast, but it paused occasionally to let the pair catch up. After trekking a fair distance, a large dome began to appear on the horizon.

“Shumi Village!” Momo said with excitement.

Sure enough, once they got close enough, they could see a few Shumi inside the Outer Dome, waiting for them. The Moomba entered first and made a few gestures to the Shumi as Momo and Kevan stumbled inside.

One of the Shumi approached them. “Welcome,” he said. “I’ve been told that you know the girl that was brought here?”

Kevan nodded. “Michi. She’s here?”

“Yes.” The Shumi’s expression fell for a moment. “This Moomba found her out in the storm. She had suffered some serious injuries. When he brought her here, we weren’t sure if she would make it.”

Momo gasped as Kevan gripped the polearm until his knuckles turned white.

“But she’s safe now,” the Shumi villager assured them. “Our doctor is very good. He also has a good knowledge of how to use para-magic. With that, he was able to save your friend.”

“Oh thank goodness,” Momo said, clutching her hands together, pale from the cold. “Thank you…”

“Come.” The villager pointed towards the elevator. “She’s in the Elder’s house, resting. You may go see her there.”

Kevan made it to the elevator first, barely having the frame of mind to remember to wait for Momo to board before hitting the button. Before the doors could close, Momo stuck her hand out to stop them. “Hold on!” She looked back at the Shumi. “There are more of us out there. About fifteen, if my math’s right. They’re probably all together.”

The Moomba, without warning, ran on all fours back outside and into the storm.

“Wait!” Momo called out. “What if it-”

“He’ll be fine,” another Shumi said. “Moombas are well adapted for the cold. The storm will be of little consequence. The trick will be in finding your other friends.”

The Shumi from before nodded. “I am sure he will find them, too. Now go. Do not trouble yourselves.”

Hesitantly, Momo withdrew her hand from between the doors and let them close. She stepped back and took a seat as the elevator began its descent downwards.

Kevan forced himself to sit, though he felt on edge. He knew his body needed to rest. _Looks like I’m finally thinking right,_ he thought wryly.

The trip in the elevator was spent in silence and suspense. Even the chatty Momo seemed too preoccupied to talk, and Kevan was certainly wrapped up in his own thoughts.

Finally the elevator lurched to a stop. Momo muttered and cursed, having nearly fallen out of her seat. “Darn elevator shouldn’t stop like that. Maybe I’ll fix it for them as repayment.”

The doors opened and they hurried out, making a direct bee-line for the Elder’s hut. Sparing each other a nervous glance, they then knocked on the front door. “Hello?” Momo called out.

The door opened, and the Elder’s Attendant stuck his head out. “Do you have business with the Elder?”

“Our friend was said to be resting here.” Kevan stepped towards the Attendant, ready to get in by force if needed. “A Moomba rescued her from the storm.”

“Oh.” The Attendant stepped back to let them inside. “Yes, she’s resting in the spare bedroom.”

As they walked inside, the Attendant shut the door behind them and led them towards the room where Michi was staying. “Normally we have visitors stay at the hotel, but with her injuries the Elder wanted to keep her here. He has some medical training himself, you see, and the doctor’s hut is closer to here than the hotel.”

“We appreciate the care you’ve given her,” Momo said as the Attendant led them towards the back of the hut.

“We would not leave her to die,” the Attendant said. He stopped in front of a door and knocked gently. “Elder, there are companions of the girl here to see her.”

“Come in.”

The Attendant pushed open the door, leaving Momo and Kevan to step inside. The Elder was standing next to the bed. When he saw the pair enter, he offered them a comforting smile. “I am glad she is not alone,” he said as he glanced down at Michi. “She will need the love of friends to get her through this.”

Kevan almost ran towards the bed, not even acknowledging the Elder as he knelt down.

 Michi was laying on the bed, her arms at her side. She was unconscious, and her face was paler than normal. Kevan’s heart lurched as he glanced down at her midriff, which was wrapped with several bandages. He slightly skimmed his fingertips over the wrappings, imagining the nasty wound that lay beneath. “Michi…”

“H – How bad was the wound?” Momo asked the Elder.

“Serious enough,” he said, not wanting to elaborate. “No organs were punctured, so it seems it was only a surface wound, albeit a deep one.”

When Kevan bowed his head, the Elder walked over to him and bent down next to him. “Young human, do not exhaust yourself in worry. She will survive.”

Kevan nodded, leaning over and resting his forehead against Michi’s shoulder. “She’s here,” he said, as if he couldn’t believe it. “She’s alive.”

“I told you,” Momo said, trying to sound teasing but her voice choked in her throat.

With his future restored and the desperation gone, Kevan finally allowed himself to release the emotions that had been building up. He choked out a sob as he clutched Michi’s left hand in his before he broke down and cried.


	20. Amee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With everyone in Shumi Village, the reasoning behind Kevan's actions is explained, and Seifer is compelled to reach out to his son.

Two and a half hours. That’s how long it took for the Moomba to find the others and bring them to the village. The poor thing was panting and exhausted by the time they made it into the Outer Dome. Desmen hurried over to it, leaning down to make sure it was okay.

“You’re a trooper,” he said as he patted its back. “Hang in there, okay?”

“All he needs is some rest and food,” a Shumi said as he calmly walked over to the party. “He was out in the storm for many hours, first having to bring the injured human girl here, then her two friends-”

Zell’s head snapped up, realizing who the Shumi was referring to. “You mean Michi’s here? And Momo and Kevan?”

The Shumi considered his question for a moment before he nodded. “Yes, I believe they referred to her as ‘Michi.’ They were both quite worried, but the boy was the most troubling to me.”

“What do you mean?” Seifer asked, his brow furrowed.

Another Shumi answered, “We do not mean he caused trouble. But, where the girl radiated hope, the boy was purely desperation. We were concerned for his welfare.”

Lamis rubbed a hand over her face and mumbled something incoherent into her hand.

“We were afraid of that,” Alin murmured.

Shaking her head, Bianca brushed aside concern for Kevan – for now. “Where are they?” she asked the Shumi.

“Down below, in the Elder’s Hut, presumably.” The first Shumi gestured to the elevator. “You are welcome to the village and stay until everyone has recovered.”

Quistis bowed to the Shumi. “Thank you so much.”

Everyone murmured their thanks and appreciation before heading towards the elevator. With fifteen people, it was cramped, but they all managed to fit inside before they began descending.

The first half of the trip was silent. The only sound to fill the elevator was everyone’s breathing and the whirring of the machine. There was a tension in the air and a question left unspoken.

Lamis was the first to address the group, unable to bear the pressure anymore. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said, directing her gaze at the parents. Her eyes were soft in understanding, though her mouth was a firm line. “We’ll explain later. We just want to make sure everyone’s okay first.”

The elevator shuddered to a halt, and slowly the doors opened. Everyone filed out and spread out in front of the doors until the elevator was empty.

“Let’s head to the Elder’s hut,” Desmen said. “It shouldn’t be far, right?”

Rinoa pointed towards it. “That’s it right there,” she said, looking at the house closest to the elevator.

Bianca took a few steps forward, peering around to get a look. “I think I see someone?”

She took another few steps forward until she could finally see the hut. Standing in front was Momo, who was conversing with the Elder and his Attendant. She bowed to them before they left.

As soon as the Shumi were gone, Bianca called out, “Momo!”

Unaware that they had arrived, Momo jolted in surprise, her head spinning around to see who had called her name before her eyes widened and she smiled in relief. “BiBi!”

Her tiny friend ran and didn’t stop until she had collided with Momo and wrapped her arms around her. “I’m so glad you’re safe!”

Momo returned the hug as everyone else walked over to them. She lifted her head up and gave Zell an apologetic wince. “I’m so sorry. I know it was stupid but I couldn’t leave Kevan alone and-”

“No one’s blaming you,” Rinoa said, reaching an arm out to give Momo’s shoulder a squeeze.

Zell sighed in relief, assured that one of his daughters was okay. “You had to do what you had to do.” He gulped, and asked with nerves in his voice, “What about Michi?”

Momo broke the hug with Bianca, taking a small step back to address everyone. “She was injured badly in the crash. Luckily, there’s no internal bleeding or anything. The Moomba who brought you here was also the one who found her.”

“Damn,” Irvine said as he shook his head. Selphie clutched his hand in hers, and he gripped her hand tightly. “Will she make it?”

“Yeah,” Momo said with a smile. “The Elder and the village doctor managed to save her. It’s up to her now.”

There were enormous sighs of relief from several in the group. Zell’s was certainly the biggest and the most understandable.

Yasu and Taw exchanged anxious glances, dreading the next question that had to be asked. The elder brother inhaled deeply and asked Momo, “What of Kevan?”

Her smile fell, and her gaze was redirected to the ground. “I think the worst of it is over. Now that he knows she’s okay he’s himself again, but…”

Lamis pursed her lips tightly. She stepped next to Bianca and leaned down until she was at the same height as Momo. “How bad was he?”

The younger girl refused to meet Lamis’ scrutinizing gaze. “He was just worried.”

“Momo.”

There was no argument in Lamis’ tone. Hunching her shoulders, Momo finally looked up. She bit her bottom lip hesitantly before saying, “It wasn’t good.”

The redhead glanced over at the Elder’s hut. “Is he inside?”

“Yeah. He’s been at Michi’s side the entire time.”

Desmen strode over towards the hut. “I’ll talk to him.” He paused halfway there and threw a glance over his shoulder at Momo. “It’s not like we’re gonna yell at him, Mo. We just need to know what happened.”

In order to encourage Momo further, Lamis put her hands on her shoulders. “Did he try anything?”

“Anything stupid?” Momo cast a wary look at Seifer, afraid to continue in fear he might be upset by what she had to say. “He…” She clenched her hand into a fist, forcing herself to look away and to retell what happened. “At one point, he said that if she was dead, that I should – well, I’m not sure if he wanted _me_ to… but I’m pretty sure he was trying to say that if Michi was gone, he was going to…”

Lamis sighed heavily, her eyes closing as if she couldn’t keep them opened anymore. “He lost hope.”

“For a bit there, I think he was ready for the worst.” Momo clutched her hands tightly together.

A knowing look passed between Desmen and Lamis. She nodded to him, and without further word he walked inside, presumably to check on Kevan.

“I guess we better tell them what’s going on,” Taw said.

“Yeah.” Lamis released Momo’s shoulders. She pointed to a bunch of rocks gathered by the village lake. “Let’s sit over there, and I’ll explain things.”

~*~

Desmen cautiously pushed open the door to the guest bedroom Michi was recovering in. Unsure of what he would be walking in on, he prepared himself mentally by breathing evenly and keeping his adrenaline down. When he felt he was ready, he stepped inside.

He found Kevan where he had probably been since he came. He was kneeling at her bedside, clasping her hand in his. His head was bowed, like he was in prayer. Desmen wouldn’t have been surprised if he was.

“Hey,” he said softly.

Kevan’s head snapped up in surprise. Instinct had him pivoting on his heel with his hand reaching for his sword. When he saw it was only Desmen, he sighed and relaxed. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you come in.”

It was rare for Desmen to be able to take any of his SeeD friends by surprise. Then again, Kevan had probably shoved his training out the window hours ago, when he realized that his girlfriend was bleeding and missing.

Withholding a sigh, Desmen glanced down at Michi. He reached over and gently touched her arm, telling her in a way that words couldn’t that he was there for her and waiting. _She’ll be okay,_ he thought to himself. _It’s Kevan I’m worried about._

Addressing his friend, he said, “What happened out there?”

Silence was Kevan’s initial answer. Desmen wasn’t sure if Kevan didn’t want to answer or just didn’t know how to. He tried, “Momo told us, but that’s only one side of the story.”

Kevan leaned his forehead against his and Michi’s intertwined hands. “I don’t know why I thought she was dead for sure. I guess with everything that’s happened, I’ve come to prepare for the worst. I can’t say for sure.

“What I do know,” he continued with a shaky breath, “was that I lost my mind, sort of. If Momo hadn’t been there, I can’t imagine what would have happened.” He squeezed Michi’s hand tighter. “I haven’t been in that much pain since…”

It was just like Momo had said, and what Lamis had feared. What they all had feared. Desmen clasped Kevan’s shoulder comfortingly. “We were afraid that was what you were thinking of. I’m sorry you had to be reminded of that.”

Kevan shook his head. “I think about that almost every day. What happened earlier just made it seem real again. To go through another loss like that, I don’t think I could have…”

“Survived?” Desmen offered.

“Yeah.” Kevan kissed Michi’s hand. “I haven’t cared and needed anyone as much as I need Michi since my mom.”

Desmen watched as Kevan winced and remembered the woman he had been attached to and adored so much as a child.

His heart ached as he watched his friend also remember the woman whose death he blamed himself for.

~*~

“Remember back on the Alpha,” Lamis began when everyone was gathered by the lake, “when we said that we hadn’t met Kevan until he was six? That was because he wasn’t born in Balamb or in Timber or anywhere near where we live.”

Her eyes rested on Seifer, since he was a large part of this tale. “After the Ultimecia Conflict, you went on your merry way elsewhere, trying to find some purpose again and all that. You did that for awhile, and you didn’t contact Grandma or any of our parents much, if at all.

“Then, you met Amee.” Lamis’ smile saddened as Seifer’s stare turned bemused. “Your wife. Kevan’s mother,” she clarified.

Zell chuckled slightly, probably amused at the thought of someone actually marrying and settling down with Seifer. “She must be a hell of a woman.”

“Correction,” Yasu sighed softly. “she _was_ a hell of a woman, from what we were told.”

Zell’s smile instantly fell, and he glanced apologetically at Seifer; his inconsiderate remark certainly wasn’t meant to come off that way. “You serious?”

“I’m afraid so,” Lamis said. “We never met her. She and Seifer had Kevan a couple years after they met. He was born in Esthar, where Amee had grown up.”

She faltered for a moment, and Taw decided to carry on for her. “Kevan was a Momma’s boy. He was so damn attached to her. I mean, he liked you too and everything,” he said quickly to Seifer, earning a couple chuckles from the group, “but he really loved Amee. And I mean, from what he always tells us, she was great, and I believe him, bias and all.”

“One day,” Lamis said, having regained her resolve, “Kevan was clamoring for this bicycle he saw at the bike shop in Deling City when you guys visited there.” She clutched her hands together, growing more nervous by the word. “Amee –she loved Kevan and she wanted to get him the bike as a surprise, so she decided that she would make a trip to Galbadia and get the bike for him.”

Her newly-regained fortitude was already beginning to crack again. “So when he was at school, she took the train from Esthar to Fishermen’s Horizon, and then took a connecting train headed for Deling City. But…”

When her voice cracked, Bianca covered her hands with hers. Alin quietly continued, “That connecting train went down in history as one of the worst train accidents. There was something wrong with the west tracks on the Horizon Bridge. No one had realized it or they had missed it. I don’t know, but,” He shook his head. “when Amee’s train crossed over, the whole train derailed.”

“The whole thing went into the water.” Momo sniffed; the story was always impossible to tell or hear without tears. “Just… everything and everyone on board. The worst part is, no one survived. Help didn’t come until it was too late.”

A saddening silence fell over everyone. Many eyes fell on Seifer, who was staring hard at the ground between his feet. His fist was balled up on his knee.

“Seifer…” Momo said sadly.

With a shake of his head, Seifer suddenly got to his feet. “So that’s why Kevan freaked out there, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Yasu said. “Some years after Amee died, Kevan found out that she had gone to Deling for that bike. Ever since then, he’s blamed himself for what happened.”

“Damn it,” Seifer cursed harshly before turning on his heel and storming towards the Elder’s hut. The others protested and shouted for him, but he ignored them as he slammed the door behind him.

He brushed past the Assistant, not even bothering to apologize as he went directly for the guest bedroom. It wasn’t hard to find it in the rather small house. Seeing the door open slightly, Seifer pushed it open all the way, letting it bang against the wall behind it as he stood in the threshold.

Desmen and Kevan both turned around, wearing similar expressions of surprise. “Seifer,” Desmen said.

“Out,” he said to Desmen. “I need to talk to Kevan alone.”

“But-”

“It’s okay,” Kevan said to his friend.

Shooting Seifer a warning glare, Desmen nodded before proceeding to walk out the door. He had the presence of mind to shut it behind him, since it was clear that Seifer wanted some privacy with his son.

The first thing out of Seifer’s mouth was, “Well, you look like shit.”

Kevan cracked a small smile. “As do you.”

“You look a lot worse.” Seifer leaned against the wall near the bed. Although he wanted to address Kevan eye to eye, he first looked over at his son’s girlfriend, who still looked paler than she should and was breathing too evenly for his comfort.

With Seifer lost in his thoughts and the silence hanging, Kevan asked, “What did you want to-”

“You need to stop.” His father shot him a hard glare. “They told me about… your mother,” he said. Kevan didn’t seem surprised. Seifer wondered if he had expected them to tell him. “And how you’re beating yourself up about what happened.” His blunt words surprised even him a bit. Though Seifer wasn’t one for holding back, it was still pretty forward of him to just barge in and tell Kevan to let go of something that’d been plaguing him for years. A part of him wondered what the hell he was even doing.

“I…” Kevan had to force himself to look at Seifer instead of at the wall or floor or any place that wasn’t his father’s probing green eyes. “To be honest, I’m not as bad as I once was. Michi helped me a lot with that. She’s helped fill in the hole Mom left behind. It’s why I…”

Seifer lowered himself to the ground and kneeled in front of Kevan. “Look, I understand why you freaked out there. I know you were afraid you’d lose the best thing you have again.” He paused, unsure as to how to continue. He wasn’t entirely good at these kinds of conversations, but he knew he had to try, for Kevan’s sake. “I don’t know the extent of the damage. But I know it hurts. I don’t even know who she is yet and I’m already hurting over the thought of her dying.”

It was an odd feeling, the pang of grief and remorse for someone he didn’t even know. But he wasn’t there to talk about _his_ feelings on the matter. “And I get that Michi’s everything to you. She’s helped you move on and pursue your music, right? That’s what She-Dincht told me, anyway.”

When Kevan nodded, Seifer continued, “I want you to have someone like that in your life. The kind of relationship Amee and I will have… I don’t know what it’ll entail, but I know I could only love and live with a woman who supports me no matter what.”

He didn’t know the right words. How was he to comfort Kevan about something in his past, when to Seifer it hadn’t even happened yet? The only thing he had to rely on was his gut feeling. “I also know that I could only love a woman who would want her son to be strong. Out there in the tundra, you ran away. I don’t blame you, but you can’t run like that again. All _I’ve_ done the past few years is run.”

Seifer had never admitted this to anyone, and obviously he never did in the years following, for Kevan was obviously taken aback by his statement. “What do you mean?” his son asked.

“During the Ultimecia War, I masqueraded as a knight, but it was just a front. I was running.” He shifted his gaze away. “I ran because the future I had been banking on was taken away from me and I didn’t know what else to do. So I ran and pretended to be something I wasn’t.”

He finally looked back at Kevan when he said, “If you learn anything from me, it’s to not run away when the future looks bad. You fight to get it back. Prove fate wrong, prove your critics wrong, prove everyone wrong. Just don’t run.”

“Dad…”

Seifer shook his head, dismissing Kevan’s pitying look. “It’s fine. I made my mistakes. Learn from them. Now,” He got to his feet. “go take a walk and clear your head. You’re still shaken up.”

Kevan stared at Seifer for a minute or two, completely baffled as to how to react. Finally, he hesitantly nodded and stood up. “Okay. I have a few things to think about anyway.”

As he turned to go towards the door, he suddenly paused. “But if she wakes up-”

“I’ll send She-Dincht to find you or something.” Seifer waved him off. “Now go.” He watched Kevan as he nodded and began for the door again. His eyes grazed over his form until he noticed something small in Kevan’s pocket. It was circular, but Seifer couldn’t make out what it was.

“Wait,” he said as Kevan turned the door handle. “What’s in your pocket?”

To his surprise, Kevan smiled strangely and said, “Just a future I thought I had lost.” Saying no more, he left his father alone with only a sleeping Michi and his cryptic words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some more backstory. It really breaks my heart to have had this happen to Kevan and Seifer, but not everyone's story can be sugar and rainbows. Also, I needed some reason to have Seifer return to Balamb at some point. I couldn't see him returning for his own sake, but if it helped Kevan, I think he would swallow his pride and return there, despite the associations and memories.


	21. A future worth fighting for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having recovered his wits, Kevan knows now what he wants to do: move forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pfffffffft, forgive me for this chapter, guys. It's obnoxiously fluffy during the latter half. I swear this is the worst it gets throughout the whole story. That said, feel free to throw a fry pan or two at me for it.

Michi woke up later, much to everyone’s immense relief. Momo got first dibs on hugging her, especially since Kevan was still out on his walk.

When she realized Kevan was missing, Momo ordered Seifer to go bring him back. Naturally, this led to an argument between the two because Momo didn’t want to leave Michi’s side, but Seifer had already said he would send Momo out to fetch Kevan when Michi woke up.

For once Momo lost the fight and conceded, but not before hitting Seifer upside the head and running out of the room before he could retaliate.

The expletives he shouted after her were not pretty.

Giggling at Seifer’s irritation, Momo practically skipped out of the Elder’s hut and over the grass as she looked for Kevan. The remaining dregs of fear she had had over Michi’s condition were gone, and she felt light and almost carefree again.

She meandered past the lake, craning her head every which way looking for Kevan. “Kevy!” she shouted for him, furrowing her brow.

Suddenly he appeared from behind some trees. His eyes narrowed at her inquisitively and in them she saw a spark of hope. “Yeah?”

“There you are.” She grinned widely and excitedly pointed at the village. “Michi’s awake! You gotta go see her.”

His outward reaction was calm; he only showed a trace of a smile and a sigh of relief. But inwardly, Momo knew that the dread and fear he had also been hanging onto was ebbing away, now that Michi’s survival was all but guaranteed. He walked up to Momo, his hands firmly in his pockets as he asked, “Is she okay?”

“Mmhmm,” Momo said. “She’s a little confused about what happened. I don’t think she remembers a whole lot once the ship went down. Bianca was starting to tell her what had happened when Meatshield demanded I go and find you. The lazy ass,” she said the last part with a roll of her eyes.

Instead of the laugh she had expected, Momo was only met with silence as Kevan stared down at her thoughtfully. Fidgeting under his gaze, she added, “Er, not that I mind or anything. And Michi’s okay, really. Just probably hit her head or her mind’s just blocking out the events because they’re a bit traumatic. She’s really happy to be here. I mean, this is Shumi Village. It’s Moomba Central. Heck, I think she’d risk breaking her neck and back if it meant she could come here-”

“It’s not that.” Kevan shook his head and smiled apologetically. “Sorry. I take your word for it, and I’m glad you didn’t try to beat up Dad for making you do this.”

“Well, I kind of hit him over the head,” Momo admitted sheepishly. “But he deserved it! You should have heard what he called me after I left!”

That was when she got the laughter she had been waiting for. Momo felt a wave of relief wash over her as Kevan chuckled and ruffled her hair. Michi was awake, and Kevan finally seemed to be returning to normal. _Thank goodness,_ she thought.

As Kevan messed up her hair some more, his laughter faded though his smile still remained. “Hey, can I tell you a secret?”

“Hm?”

He looked around, like he was afraid of someone seeing him or overhearing him divulge this big secret. “I always found it funny when you call me your – how does it go? ‘Brother-in-law-in-training?” He grinned when she nodded sheepishly. “It’s just funny, because I know how you’ve always wanted a brother. Truth be told, I’ve always wanted a little sister.”

She honestly hadn’t been expecting that. Momo stared up at Kevan in mild surprise, her eyes blinking as she struggled to think of something to say. While she was tickled pink that he admitted that to her, she couldn’t help but feel as if he was also trying to imply something else with those words. “Really?” was all she managed.

Kevan nodded. “Yeah. So thanks, Momo.” He walked past her, letting his hands fall back into his pockets. “I won’t fail you like that again.”

Stunned, she watched him walk away a few paces before shaking her head, getting her thoughts back in order. “W- Wait!” She hurried off after him, her boots smacking and flattening the tall grass beneath her feet.

He glanced over his shoulder, slowing his pace until she caught up to him.

“I don’t hold what happened earlier against you. I really don’t.” She was tempted to hit _him_ upside the head, but violence didn’t really work on Kevan. And it was more fun hitting people when they were irritated, anyway. Like Seifer. “I was just worried.”

“I know.” His gaze turned towards the village that was approaching in the distance. “But I abandoned you out there. I was just running away, letting fear drive me instead of hope. I won’t make that mistake again.”

The rest of the walk was filled with silence, since both Momo and Kevan were preoccupied with their own, very different thoughts. When they reached the Elder’s hut, Kevan quickly strode inside with Momo on his heels. They brushed past the Attendant and a few other Shumi who were in the hut, apologizing as they made their way towards the guest bedroom.

By the time they got there, Kevan was practically running. His calm demeanor from earlier faded, revealing his true emotions beneath his exterior. He knocked the door open with the flat of his hand, surprising a few of his friends who hadn’t been paying attention.

“Kevan!” Michi called out, her smile widening as her eyes met his.

He immediately went to her side. Alin had stepped back and pulled Taw with him, getting both of them out of Kevan’s way. Everyone watched silently as Kevan bent down and held Michi close to him. He buried his face into her neck, breathing in her scent and giving his mind a few minutes to fully adjust to the fact that Michi was fine and well.

She said nothing, only returning his embrace and running her hand up and down his back. The gesture said what she didn’t say with words, that she knew how worried he had been and that she was okay now.

After a few minutes passed by, Kevan lifted his head up slightly and whispered into her ear, “Tomorrow night, I need to talk to you if you’re up for it.”

Michi nodded slightly against his head. “Okay.”

“Welcome back.” Michi and Kevan turned towards Seifer, who was smirking at them. It wasn’t his usual arrogant smirk, but a satisfied one. “Both of you.”

~*~

To be honest, Kevan had expected to have to delay the conversation with Michi. After having just woken up from a serious injury, even taking into account how fit she was, Kevan was sure she would need to stay in bed for at least another full day, and he had wanted to have the conversation in private. A walk would have been best, but Michi didn’t seem to be up for one yet.

At least, she had certainly led him to believe as much throughout the following day. Her restlessness was understandable, but she didn’t make much of a fuss about having to stay in bed. Instead, she let everyone wait on her and pamper her a bit, with only one or two mild complaints when they went overboard. Most of those complaints had been leveled at Kevan and, perhaps not surprisingly, Zell.

In spite of her over-protective boyfriend and father, Michi bore all of it with her usual sunny smile and cheer.

As afternoon turned into evening, Kevan was sitting by her bedside, watching as she ate her dinner. The Shumi had insisted that she eat light, liquid-based foods. So her day’s diet consisted of soup and pudding. Luckily, she didn’t mind either of them.

Michi was holding a bowl of fishtail soup, a Shumi recipe. “So, when are we going to have this talk?” she asked Kevan before gently blowing on her soup to cool it off.

Kevan smiled apologetically. “Well, I need to make sure we’re alone. It’s something between the two of us, and I think a walk would be best. We’ll wait until you’re better-”

“I’m fine now,” Michi said, glancing over at him. “I had a feeling that’s what you were going to say, so I decided to rest all day so I was ready for tonight.”

Sometimes her insight into him scared Kevan. It was uncanny, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he was that easy to read. “Mich, you should just rest. It can wait.”

She slowly shook her head, and Kevan realized that she was going to be stubborn about this. “I have been resting. I’ve hardly done anything.” From beneath the blankets piled on top of her (that was Zell’s doing) Michi wriggled her toes. “I could use the stretch, really.”

 _Should I even bother arguing?_ Still, concern for her welfare had him pushing back. “How about in the morning?” he said, vying for a compromise. “After another good night’s rest?”

Michi raised a brow at him. “And you would leave me in suspense for another night?” She smiled when he frowned. “I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I’m left wondering what you need to talk about. How about just a short walk tonight? I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Kevan sighed wearily, but leaned over and gave her a kiss. “I had no chance of winning that argument, did I?”

“Nope.” Michi smiled amusedly. “But it was cute to see how hard you were trying.”

Resigned to Michi’s decision, Kevan nodded. He spent the rest of the evening trying to go over in his head what he would say to her while trying to hide the fact that he was doing so. His girlfriend would have likely have caught on had she not been so distracted by the others.

The hours flew by in a flurry of rest and conversation, and soon it was nighttime. The village was quiet, its residents and (most of) its guests fast asleep in their beds. Only Michi and Kevan were awake. When they were sure no one else was up and about, the couple snuck out and silently began to walk together.

Michi’s hand was grasped gently in Kevan’s as he led her through the village. The entire cavern was dark, reflective of the current time (it was nearly midnight up above) and giving the whole place a magical, mysterious aura it did not have when the lights were on.

He constantly looked back at her, making sure she was still following. Her steps were sure, and he could see no sign of weariness or pain in her stature. She was smiling and didn’t seem the least bit annoyed about him constantly checking up on her.

He couldn’t help it, though. More than a day earlier, he was tearing through the Trabian tundra, half-crazed in the belief that she was dead or dying somewhere where he couldn’t get to her. He would have preferred rotting away in hell, knowing Michi was alive and safe, than endure that again. It had been painful, but he had learned his lesson, and he knew now what he wanted to do.

“Where are we going?” Michi whispered.

Kevan smiled secretively. “You’ll see,” he said as he led her past the quaint pond and away from the village. His destination was the far side of the underground dome, where the water from above came running down the rocky side. There at that waterway entrance was a beautiful waterfall, which in the daytime casted a gorgeous rainbow. He wanted to see what it was like at night.

They walked along the small stream that fed the village pond, never letting go of the other’s hand. He gripped hers much gentler than normal, like it was the finest of crystal that could break under too much pressure. Kevan had never considered Michi weak, but the other day’s events were a cruel reminder that even the strongest of people could be broken far too easily.

A line of leafy trees stood as the entrance to the secret spot Kevan had found. He pushed away their branches, holding them high above Michi as he let her walk ahead. Once they were past the foliage, Michi gasped as the small clearing came into view.

“It’s so pretty,” she whispered in awe.

Kevan looked up at the waterfall. In the soft, albeit replicated moonlight, the waterfall had an ethereal but gentle quality. Around them, fireflies danced around in the grass, providing the only other source of light. The only sound besides their breathing was the gurgle of the stream and the soft roar of the waterfall.

“How did you find this?” she asked.

He looked to her. “A little while after we came here, while you were asleep, Dad made me take a walk to clear my head and stop hovering over you.” He snorted softly, recalling his state at that time. “I wandered all the way out here and found this.”

Michi’s eyes fell to the ground. “I’m so sorry,” she said, “for scaring you like that. I -”

Kevan pulled her close, cutting off any further self-reprimand. “No, love, it wasn’t your fault. If I had been more rational, I…” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. We’re here now, in Shumi Village, where you always wanted to visit. Do you like it?”

“Very much,” she said, her head resting against his chest. “It’s so beautiful, and the Shumi are so kind and welcoming.” Her arms wrapped around his waist as he began to stroke her hair. “And the Moombas are wonderful and adorable, as always.”

“Spoken like a true fan.”

She giggled. “I know, and…” Her long hair brushed over the hands on her back when she looked up at him. Her lips parted into a wide smile. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Well,” he laughed humorlessly, “I wish we came here under better circumstances, but now that we’re here, it’s perfect.”

Kevan had no doubt about how much he loved her. But what he hadn’t understood was how much he had come to depend on her and how much of his life revolved around her. She wasn’t an obsession or a fixation, but an essential focal point and priority.

She had accepted him, he whose mother’s death had left a deep scar on his heart. He who wanted to protect everyone he loved, and sometimes went overboard in doing so. He who, above all, was flawed and had certainly made mistakes, but yet somehow managed to hold a wonderful woman like Michi to him.

His stomach squeezed, and he desperately wished he had Desmen’s bravery in that moment. His only source of strength, and the only reason he was not backing out of his decision, came from the girl in his arms, who was starting to look concerned at his prolonged silence.

“Michi…” One arm fell from her back and reached into his pocket.

“Hm?”

He clutched the tiny item in his pocket and pulled it out. It was enclosed in his hand, out of sight for now. “The past three years… I can’t describe them. From the night when we kissed for the first time until finding you alive yesterday after hours of believing otherwise, I’m not the same person I was back then and I’m glad.”

His hands cupped her face, the one holding the secret item still clutching it. His knuckles rubbed gently against her cheeks. “If anyone should be doing the thanking, it’s me. You’ve inspired me to pursue music, to better myself, and to try and move on from my grief.” He bent down and kissed her deeply. His lips parted from hers after several seconds, but remained hovering above hers.

He stepped back. “I want to hold onto what I’ve gained and I want to hold you. I want to go forward, and with that, I…” He dropped to one knee, and revealed what he was hiding in his hand. It was a small silver band with swirls that weaved over the surface. There was a small deep blue stone in the middle, and the swirls on the ring caressed its edges. “I’ve had this in my pocket for awhile, always delaying when I would do this, because I always thought I had tomorrow. I know better now, so I’d like to know if you’ll marry me. It doesn’t have to be next week or next month. We can wait awhile. I just…”

With the words out and the question posed, doubt crept in. They were both young, and a world of opportunities awaited. He was 21, she was 20. He was ready to bind himself to her, but maybe she wasn’t. Maybe she wanted to explore and grow, without him, without the burden of-

“Yes.”

For a second, he thought he heard her wrong. When his eyes focused on hers, he saw tears rolling out, streaming over her watery smile. She wiped the tears away and repeated, “Yes. Yes, I will.”

He blurted out a laugh. It was the only way he could think of breaking the tension that had built up. A giggle broke out of her, too, even as the tears kept coming. Kevan was grinning like a loon as he slipped the ring on her left hand and then clasped his hands over it. “It’s a promise then.”

“It’s a promise,” she mimicked as he stood up. “We should wait awhile. Maybe in a year or two?”

He nodded. “That’s what I was aiming for.” He glanced over towards the direction of the village.

She followed his stare. She knew what he was thinking without any words or explanation. Murmuring his name, she placed her hand on his cheek and pushed his head towards her. “We’ll worry about them later. Tonight is for us.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “You’re right.” Without further ado, he leaned down and kissed his fiancé in his arms, where he endeavored to keep her for the rest of the night.


	22. Some good news

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Centra Clan picks up the group at Shumi Village and reports on what they've discovered. Meanwhile, Momo, alongside the mechanics at Esthar, faces the daunting challenge of repairing the destroyed Ragnarok.

“Michi!” Momo was banging on her sister’s door the following morning. “And Kevan, since I’m pretty sure you’re in there!” It was that bit of knowledge that kept Momo from barging in like she normally would. She had caught her sister and Kevan in a compromising position once because she entered without knocking; she didn’t plan on repeating the same mistake. With Michi’s injuries it was unlikely anything _serious_ was going on, but still, there was no need to take the risk. She could only handle so much brain trauma in a lifetime.

Kevan opened the door, donned in just his pants. “What’s up?”

“The clan’s here,” Momo announced cheerfully.

Kevan blinked, part confusion and part sleepiness. “What?”

“They picked up our mayday but they couldn’t get near because of the storm. They managed to get in late yesterday, but they only found the ship.”

“How did they know we were here?”

“They searched and one of the scouts came here and asked about us. The Shumi said we were here but the elevator was shut down for the night, so they had to wait until this morning.”

He nodded and began backing up into the room. “I’ll let Michi know and we’ll get dressed.”

Momo blinked once as Kevan shut the door, but said nothing further as she turned on her heel and headed back towards the entrance. Uncle Radovan was waiting, and she knew he wanted to get ready and going as soon as possible.

 _Poor Shumi_ , she thought as she stepped outside to find several members of the clan, including her uncle and cousins, spread out in the village. _So many visitors at once. Good thing they're so patient_.

Radovan turned towards his youngest niece, looking rather expectant.

"They'll be out in a few," she said to him. "Remember, Michi's still recovering-"

"I know, I know," Radovan nodded as he waved off her reprimand. "I didn't forget. We'll make sure she keeps resting when we get everyone on board."

"What about the Ragnarok?" Momo asked him, his words having reminded her of the airship that now lied ruined and scattered across the Trabian plains.

He sighed, his eyes saddening. "We've contacted Esthar. They're gonna bring in some ships and haul her back to the garage in the city and see what they can do. Just try not to get your hopes up, kid," he said, patting Momo on the back. "I saw her myself and it's not good."

 _But I want to get my hopes up_ , Momo thought but didn't say, instead just nodding begrudgingly with her uncle's words. "I suppose it's all we can do. I just don't know what happened." She had checked the ship herself before they had departed; it had been fine.

"Didn't Squall tell you?" Radovan's brow furrowed in surprise. "Guess with Michi and everything he didn't get a chance. I was talking to him and Desmen earlier, and they said they had run into Cyder shortly after the ship went down. Bastard said he did it."

It took a considerable amount of self-restraint and control on Momo's part not the hurl her chakrams at the nearest hapless object. " _What_?" she screeched, stamping her foot as a means of letting out her anger without resorting to destruction.

She glanced around her uncle, and her eyes met Desmen's. He was standing with his mother and father. His grimace conveyed guilt and apology.

"Ugh." Momo hung her head and let her shoulders sag. "That moron. Hasn't he done enough?"

"I doubt he thinks so. Shitbag probably thinks he's gonna get away with everything. He better think again." Radovan crossed his arms over his burly chest. "We gotta think of a strategy to take this guy down. But first we need to get everyone together and go over a few things. There is some good news."

"Really?" Momo instantly perked up. "Like what?"

"It's about that time device we found on the Island Closest to Hell." He grinned proudly. "With that and the documents we dug up in our archives, we're pretty sure we figured the sucker out."

From behind Momo, a voice said, "Figured what out?"

Momo and Radovan turned to find Michi walking out of the Elder's hut with Kevan.

"You okay?" Radovan asked Michi, his voice softening as his oldest niece walked up to them, her right hand clasped over her left. "I heard about what happened. Damn, kid."

Michi's expression fell as she bowed her head. "I am. I'm so sorry. I just-"

"Hey." Kevan comfortingly put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "None of that. It wasn't your fault."

Momo watched as Radovan threw a quick glance at Kevan, his eyes narrowing in some emotion she couldn't pin down. It didn't seem like anger, but it wasn't pity or sympathy either. He must have heard about Kevan, too, she thought as Kevan met his gaze, his shoulders stiffening.

Her usually forward uncle said nothing, which was rare of him. Perhaps he decided that words weren't needed, or maybe he wasn't sure what to say, which would have been just as odd.

"Let's get going," Momo said when the silence hung for a second too long for comfort. "We have a lot to do yet, don't we?"

"Right." Radovan turned towards the rest of the village and hollered at the top of his lungs, "All right! Time to move out people!"

Michi giggled as Momo rubbed her ear. "Geez," the latter muttered as she glared darkly at her loud uncle. "Remember the eardrums."

"Will you not stay to recover some more?" The Village Elder emerged from his hut with his Assistant, his hands folded against his chest as per tradition. His small but kind eyes rested on Michi as he stared down at her.

"I don't want to trouble you anymore," Michi said, turning to him. "And I feel a lot better, thanks to you and your doctor. I’m much indebted to you."

Kevan bowed to him. "As am I. To you and the Moomba who saved Michi. Is he here?"

"I believe so." The Elder glanced around, his posture relaxed as he searched for the Moomba in question. "There he is," he said when he spotted a Moomba running towards them from further down the path.

Michi smiled excitedly as the Moomba reached them, its tail twitching as it nudged Michi with his paw. "Rrr?"

"I have to go, but..." She carefully bent down, mindful of her still-healing wound in her stomach. "Thank you so much. If it's okay, I hope to visit again someday and see you."

"Rrr! Rrr!" The Moomba nodded happily.

She affectionately ruffled its fiery fur before standing back up. "I finally got to meet a Moomba, and he saved my life, too. I couldn't ask for more than that."

"A Moomba admirer?" the Elder asked.

"You could say that," Kevan answered amusedly. "Someone's always wanted one for a companion."

"And I think the past two days are good arguments for my case," she said. "You wouldn't ever have to worry again."

"I would anyway," Kevan retorted, "but you do make a good point."

A clanmember shouted,"Chief!"

"Coming!" Radovan beckoned to the kids. "C'mon. We gotta go." He glanced at the Elder and nodded. "Thanks again. You got the Centra Clan's gratitude. Let us know if you ever need anything."

The Elder smiled and nodded. "We will most certainly take your offer to heart. Please be well."

As they departed the village, the others waved good-bye and shouted their thanks. Michi smiled, sparing one last look at the village before getting on the elevator. Kevan squeezed her hand as the doors closed behind them. "We'll be back," he assured her.

 _Maybe for our honeymoon_ , he thought, butterflies flitting and fluttering in his stomach at the thought. Of course, this left the small problem of telling the others. _One thing at a time_ , he thought to himself. Right now, they had a magic-wielding psychopath to hunt down.

~*~

Once everyone was aboard and settled in one of the lounge rooms on the Alpha, curled up in recliners and sofas, Radovan began his report.

"We got some good news, which I know you folk probably need to hear after what's happened."

Bianca groaned; it was obvious her thoughts were turned towards the beloved ship. "I can't believe the bastard took down our ship. I'm gonna shoot him in the ass when I get the chance."

Radovan scratched the back of his head. "The Esthar crew-"

"And me," Momo added resolutely.

"...and Momo will do everything they can to repair the ship." He shot a grin at his youngest niece. "It might take awhile, if it can be done."

"So what's the good news?" Quistis asked him with a wave of her hand. "Instead of dwelling on the bad, I'd like to hear what progress has actually been made."

"The good news is we've figured out that device we found." Radovan jerked a thumb at his sons, Dylan and R.J. "One or both of them can explain it better than I can."

R.J grinned cockily as he began, "The documents on it were a bit incomplete, but we managed to compile them and, with a few experiments, figured it out. Basically, the device functions like a train station."

This earned him a few raised brows and plenty of confused stares.

Dylan rolled his eyes at his brother’s vague explanation and continued, "Time is like a railway, right? It connects the past and future. Time itself is sort of a kind of magic, far beyond our control for the most part. Save for para-magics like Stop, Slow, Haste and so on, we can't do much about time.

"But then you have your Time Compression and whatnot that _can_ screw with it. We still don't know why our ancestors built this device, but for whatever reason they did. The devices are like train stations along time's railway." He nodded when both generations listening to him seemed to begin to understand what he was getting at. "The magic the device harnesses allows the person to go between the 'stations' and thus jump around time periods."

Alin nodded in agreement. “So it does work like we theorized.”

"That means we still can return to our time,” Quistis said. “But we need to deal with Cyder first."

Taw pounded his fist into his knee, raring to go. "Do we know where he is?"

"Well, that's the second bit of good news, if you want to call it that." Radovan pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This is a printed copy of a report the Estharians got yesterday. Some oceanic sensors from southwest of the Centra peninsula detected some disturbances.”

"Southwest." Squall's brow furrowed as he thought over Radovan's report. "In the ocean. The only thing that far out is the Deep Sea Research Center."

Desmen nodded. "Yeah, and actually, it makes a lot of sense if you think about it. It's isolated and hard to find. It'd be the perfect hide-out for Cyder."

"Woo-hoo!" Selphie bounced up from her seat and waved her arms. "Let's go get him!"

"No can do for the moment,” Radovan said, popping Selphie’s figurative bubble. “I ain't taking the fleet out over that much open water, not at least without the Ragnarok as back up."

"And the Ragnarok's in tatters." Momo sighed, but her voice was resolute as she stood up and said, "I better pull up the blueprints for the ship and give them a hard study. We need to get her up and functioning ASAP."

Seifer cocked a brow at her. "You saw how much damage it took. You mean to tell me you can get it repaired in time?"

"Oh, Meatshield..." Momo gave him an amused but condescending smile. "You underestimate me and my powers of time."

"You mean your powers of persuasion over the Estharian mechanics," Desmen said with a laugh. "Just try not to throw things at them this time, okay?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I can't promise anything. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to keep them working and motivated."

"How about you just keep things under enough control that we don't risk a lawsuit?" Michi suggested with a plea in her eyes. "Think of Mom."

Momo threw her hands in the air. "Fine, I'll behave! But I reserve the right to be cranky."

"You do that without reservation," Seifer pointed out.

Momo went to throw a chakram at him again, but realized as she spun on her heel that he had Hyperion out and in front of him. Her eyes narrowed into slits. "You're getting good, Meatshield."

He shrugged, but he couldn't resist smirking. "Despite popular belief, there are brains under my brawn."

~*~

Shortly after they arrived in Esthar, the kids (minus Michi, who was on bed rest under Radovan’s orders) went with Momo to survey the damage to the Ragnarok. Upon seeing it, Lamis summed up everyone’s thoughts with, “That is the most dejected looking thing I have ever seen.”

She wasn’t kidding. The once mighty ship was nearly reduced to parts and scrap metal. The bulk of the airship was sitting squarely in the middle of the main garage, while its other parts were hung or tethered in other parts of the shop.

Undeterred by the ship’s disconsolate state, Momo marched straight to the head mechanic, who was inspecting the main body with a few other mechanics. “What’s the word?”

The head mechanic eyed her warily as she approached. “Miss Dincht? Are you-”

“I’ll be good this time,” she said, cutting off the worried rant that was sure to ensue. “I just wanna help.”

“Fine,” he conceded after a very long pause. “We’re doing the inspections now. The good news is the ship’s main structure isn’t _that_ badly damaged. Aside from some minor damage,” He gestured to the main body and one of the small cracks in its side, “the body here is in pretty decent shape, especially considering the fall and the impact. The bridge needs some work and so does the head; they took the brunt of the fall from what we can tell.”

“So the ship mainly broke apart, not shattered.” Momo nodded as she ducked her head to look at the underside. “The bridge windshield is busted and I know there’s a hole in the passengers’ room, too.”

“Those won’t be that hard to deal with,” the head mechanic said. “We’ve already ordered parts. Most of it is just going to be putting it back together. The loading dock might be a pain to put back together, but I’ve got a separate team on that. The biggest problem is going to be the left engine and its compartment. Those are just… gone.”

Momo walked around the ship to see the left side. “Holy cripes!” she exclaimed when she saw it.

Bianca hurried over, her boots clapping against the hard metal floor as she ran to Momo. “How bad is-” She stopped when she got a look at the left engine. “Oh. Oh, that’s…”

“I dunno about you,” Momo said as she stared at the charred, blown out wreckage of the left engine, “but when I see it I think, ‘Kaboom!’”

For a lack of better term, the engine had definitely gone ‘Kaboom!’ thanks to Cyder. The entire engine was destroyed, blown out and charred. The compartment it was housed in was also damaged, with huge holes ripped open from the explosion.

“How long is that gonna take to repair?” Bianca asked.

“Repair? You kidding?” Momo raised an eyebrow. “This thing can’t be saved. We’re gonna have to rebuild a whole new one.”

At that point, Kevan had walked over to them, curious as to what was going on. He grimaced at the left engine and compartment. “What a mess,” he said. “But think of it this way, Mo; this is great practice.”

Confused for a moment, Momo stared in a considering manner at her sister’s boyfriend before she realized what he meant. “Oh,” she said, “I didn’t realize you had been listening.”

“I might have been a little out of it, but I still heard you.” Kevan smiled at her. “I think it’s a great idea, and this will be good practice.”

“Good practice for what?” Bianca asked.

“Oh, um…” Momo giggled nervously. “Nothing, nothing. Let’s head back to the others and give them the lowdown.”

Running off before Bianca had the chance to protest, Momo went back to her friends, ready to give a report on what was going to happen. However, her plan was cut short when she saw someone walking towards them in the distance. “Laguna!” she yelled happily.

The other kids turned around and were greeted to the sight of Laguna strolling up to them, accompanied only by Kiros and Ward. As he got close, he winced at the sight of the Ragnarok. “Wowzers,” he said to his friends as he got closer. “Poor guy is busted.”

The mechanics stood at attention as the head mechanic nodded to him. “Sir,” he said, “we’re going to do everything we can to fix it. We know there’s a rush on this, so we’ll get started as soon as possible. Parts have already been ordered. I’ve brought in every mechanic we have on this, and even called in a few who had time to spare from the city.”

“Good to hear. Keep up the good work, boys.”

Momo frowned. “Ahem!”

“And girl,” Laguna said, grinning cheekily at Momo.

Desmen smiled as he walked over to Laguna. “Grandpa,” he said in greeting. “I didn’t know you were coming down here.”

“I wanted to see the ship, though I’m kind of sorry I did,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “I also needed to talk to you, actually. Well, _Kiros_ says I need to talk to you. I don’t want to do this in particular.”

Kiros glanced over at his long-time friend. “Laguna, you need to ask, so get it done with.”

Frowning in concern as his grandfather and Kiros disagreed, Desmen butted in and asked, “Talk about what, exactly?”

Laguna sighed heavily. “You’re not gonna like this, kiddo, and I don’t either, but… President Armstrong called.”

No explanation was needed. Desmen clenched his hand into a fist and his eyes went flat. “Caraway?”

“Yeah.” Laguna gave him an apologetic look. “He wants to talk to you.”


	23. Revocation of rights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Desmen has it out with Caraway, and secret personal grudges are revealed.

“Desmen!”

Lamis was half-running to keep up with Desmen as his long legs carried him through the hallways. Momo was trailing behind her, but Lamis didn’t know if anyone else was following or not. She was too focused on catching up to Desmen.

“Forget it, Lamis,” Desmen snapped as he thrust open a door to his left. He suddenly stopped in the threshold, his eyes momentarily wide in surprise before they narrowed again and he walked inside.

His brief pause had given Lamis the time she needed to catch up to him. Once she turned into the doorway, she realized what had given Desmen pause. “Uh, hi.”

Quistis raised an eyebrow at Lamis, then at Desmen as he strode past the parents and towards the door on the opposite side.

“Desmen, wait!” Lamis implored.

In a rare moment of helpfulness (or it could have been just out of curiosity), Seifer stretched out his arm in front of the door Desmen was heading for. “Where are you stomping off to, C.J?”

“I’m not in the mood, Seifer.” Desmen tried to go around him, but Seifer and his arm did not budge.

Grateful for Seifer’s assistance, no matter the reason, Lamis took the chance to hurry over to her friend and take him by the elbow. “Just listen to me for a minute, will you?”

“There’s nothing to say. I don’t want to talk to him. He has _no_ right asking that of me.” His tone left little room for arguing.

Stubborn as a mule, Lamis took what little space he offered and pressed on. “It’s not about whether he deserves it or not. It’s about you deserving to get some answers. Don’t you want to know why he did what he did?”

Rinoa lifted her head, now understanding who they were talking about. “That man contacted you?”

“President Armstrong contacted Laguna, to be exact,” Lamis answered in place of Desmen. “He wants to talk to Desmen.”

Squall slapped his hand over his face. “I knew this was going to happen,” he muttered.

“He doesn’t have to talk to him,” Rinoa said sharply to Lamis. Although she was prejudiced against Caraway to begin with, Rinoa held that man in even more contempt now, and with good reason. “What could he possibly say that would be beneficial?”

“I don’t think that’s Lamis’ point,” Quistis said, coming to her daughter’s defense. She paused, choosing her next words carefully. She knew this was a sore spot for Rinoa, and for Desmen, and the last thing she wanted was to anger them further. “This shouldn’t be how it’s beneficial for Caraway. I agree: he does not deserve the time of day. But I’ve been perplexed about why the events in Deling City happened since that night, and I’m surprised neither of you are concerned about it.”

Desmen shook his head, aiming his glare at the wall instead of at Quistis. “You weren’t there. You don’t understand what it was like to be beaten down by the Galbadians and dragged off like a sack of rice. You didn’t see your own grandfather watch you as you were subdued by his men. My own family turned against me and almost killed me.” He turned his gaze on her, his fist balled at his side. “How could you know what that’s like? You weren’t there.”

“But I was.”

Everyone turned towards the entrance, where Momo was hanging back behind the threshold. She had stood back up until now, letting the scene unfold before stepping in. “Desy, I know I wasn’t there when Caraway betrayed you, but I was at Deling City. I saw you in that chamber.” She bit her lip at the memory, and the pain in still bore. “We might not know your pain and humiliation, but you don’t know the worry and fear we all had for your life. You were knocked out, and when you woke up, the worst had passed. _You_ didn’t experience that.”

Unable to meet his gaze and slightly emotionally overloaded from her words, Momo stared at the floor instead. “I’m the one who beat him up and helped rescue you, and I want some answers. Why don’t you?”

Seifer sighed. “She has a point,” he said. “I was there, too. I think it’d be nice to know why the hell we had to rescue you from your own grandfather.”

“Us, too,” Fujin said, exchanging nods with Raijin.

“You almost looked dead when I carried you outta that place, ya know?” Raijin added, his usual smile gone. “I’m never gonna get that out of my head.”

“Have you considered,” Lamis said, still gripping Desmen’s elbow, “that maybe what happened to Nyvae happened to Caraway? If Cyder could brainwash one official, he could do it a second time. Desmen, just talk to him. Get some answers. You owe yourself that much.”

Desmen kept his eyes trained to the ground, turning away from the others. He was blocking them out, and said nothing in reply when Lamis asked him to say something.

Rinoa knew this behavior all too well: it was just like how Squall reacted back at Galbadia Garden two years earlier, confronted with the news of Seifer’s ‘death’. He had been emotionally overloaded and he had run from the room, unable to face his own feelings. She could sense Desmen about to do the same.

“Stop it, all of you.” She pushed past everyone until she reached her son. She stood to his side, not blocking his means of escape while keeping him firmly within reach. “Hey, look at me.”

After a long moment, his eyes lifted up and met hers. She felt like she was talking to Squall during one of his emotionally confused moments, especially since she was staring into a pair of identical eyes.

“Listen. You don’t have to do anything, okay? I mean, I rather you never talk to that man again, but…” She gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I also understand if you need to get some answers.”

When Desmen remained silent still, Squall stepped in and added, “Just get some answers and hang up on him. You don’t need to listen to what he has to say if you don’t want to.”

Between his mother’s support and his father’s encouragement, and the fact that Lamis would probably hound him about it for days, Desmen finally nodded. “Fine. I’ll talk to him.”

~*~

Laguna had been of the same opinion as Desmen, and he had almost hung up on Armstrong when she mentioned Caraway wished to speak to Desmen. It was only out of courtesy and remembering this wasn’t Natalie’s idea that he hadn’t.

So his surprise was considerable when Desmen stepped into his office, morose but resigned to his decision. “Where can I talk to him?”

The old President almost asked his grandson why he had changed his mind, but it only took one glance into Desmen’s eyes to realize he was better off not mentioning it. “I’ll set up a video chat on here,” he said as he pulled his laptop towards him, “and then she’ll connect you to him.”

As Laguna typed in a few things and contacted Deling City, Desmen plopped down in one of the visitor chairs. Leaning back, his head rolled to the side and his eyes closed. Laguna thought he looked tired, but again he chose to remain silent. He knew Desmen had enough on his mind.

Hearing voices coming from the computer, Desmen opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw were pictures on Laguna’s desk. He took note of one photo of him and Laguna from many years ago. He was five in the picture, and was being held by a much younger Laguna. In his tiny hands he was gripping a stuffed lion that Laguna had given him for his fifth birthday. He smiled slightly; he still had that lion, somewhere in his closet at home.

“Desmen.”

He lifted his eyes to find his grandpa pointing at the screen. “President Armstrong is on the line. She wants to talk to you.”

Nodding, Desmen got up from his seat and took Laguna’s spot in his desk chair. Laguna gave him a smile and a squeeze on the shoulder before walking out of the room, giving Desmen some privacy.

Natalie smiled tiredly on the screen. “Desmen. I heard things have been pretty hectic since I left.”

“You could say that. We’re stuck in Esthar until the Ragnarok is repaired.”

“I heard about that, too. I’m just glad you guys survived.”

Her words were followed by a moment of awkward silence. Not wanting this to take longer than necessary, Desmen said, “So, what does Caraway want exactly?”

Natalie sighed lightly, though her expression spoke of understanding. “I’m not sure. He just said he really needed to talk to you. To be honest, I’m surprised you’re doing this.”

“I just want answers. He owes me that.” Desmen would have been fine with not knowing, but he was doing this for Momo and his friends, who seemed to insist that he resolve things with Caraway. “Or something. He better not be expecting some heartfelt conversation.”

“If he does, then that’s his problem.” Natalie looked over her shoulder and gestured to someone behind her. “Put us through to the D-District. Tell them to put Caraway on the line. They’ll know why.” She turned back and nodded to Desmen. “No one is making you do anything. Hang up when you want. Just…” She blew out a breath through her nostrils. “I think you’re doing the right thing. You’ll realize that someday.”

 _Whatever._ Desmen didn’t say anything to acknowledge her words; he just crossed his arms and waited for her to transfer him.

Natalie took the hint and initiated the transfer. The screen went blank for a moment, followed by a rising buzzing sound. The monitor blipped, and then the picture returned. This time, he was looking at a warden at the D-District prison. The older man peered at Desmen curiously, “Are you Desmen Leonhart?”

“Yes. I’m to talk to General Caraway.”

“Tch. Drop the title, boy. He’s just Fury Caraway now.” The warden hit a few buttons. “He’s in interrogation right now. He’s been hoping you’d call back. I’ll push you through to him. Hang tight for a second.”

As the screen blanked again, Desmen sighed in irritation. _Great. I played right into his hands._

He inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself before he talked to Caraway. The last thing he wanted to do was to lose his temper and turn the conversation into an argument. When the screen flashed back on, he sat up straighter and his eyes narrowed.

On the other end, Caraway started in surprise, blinking rapidly before composing himself. Despite his hopes, it was obvious the ex-General hadn’t actually expected Desmen to call back. He adjusted himself in the hard metal chair he was sitting in. “Desmen…”

“What do you want?” the young man snapped, his eyes cold. “If you’re here to apologize or give some excuse I-”

“No!” Caraway cringed, almost guilty for cutting him off. “No, I’m not. An explanation is all I’m offering, but only because you should hear it. I know I’m far past apologizing.” He straightened out his prison garment, trying to look somewhat presentable in his deplorable state. “But at least hear me out, Desmen.”

Desmen lifted a shoulder before dropping it thoughtlessly. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

For a moment, Caraway let out a chuckle. “You really are your father’s son. Then again, I never could tell whose temper you had. I’ve seen both of your parents in you when you’re angry.”

“What are you-”

“Sorry.” Caraway waved his hand. “I’m in a rather retrospective mood. Desmen…” Letting out a weary sigh, he leaned his arms against the table as he began, “I can’t remember much of what happened. Cyder came to Deling City. Natalie and I had been in disagreement over some legislation and I was fed up. I found him in my office. He insisted that he was an ally, saying he had a way to help. That’s the last thing I remember clearly.”

Lamis had been right, Desmen realized. Caraway had been controlled like Nyvae. “He did to you what he did to Nyvae?”

“I’m afraid so.” Caraway gripped his hands tightly together. “But I am not without fault. There were moments, the few that I can remember, that his control had weakened and I could have broken free. But I didn’t.”

“Why?” Desmen demanded, sitting fully erect in his chair. “Why the hell wouldn’t you?”

“Because I – I had learned about your powers.” Never in Desmen’s life had he seen Caraway look so shamefaced. Caraway was not the type of person to let his remorse show outwardly. “Two years ago. I had learned about them when I overheard Odine mention them to Laguna. It was at a gala he was throwing at the Presidential Palace and I – right after that, there were some trouble in Galbadia with some people protesting the presidential elections.”

Desmen remembered that time well: that was when Caraway had stopped speaking to him. “That’s why you cut off contact with me?”

He nodded. “I believed that since you had kept your secret from me, then I wasn’t important to you. It was out of spite, and looking back, it was pathetic.”

“ _Pathetic?_ That’s beyond pathetic.” Desmen had to forcefully bite back on some harsh words, though he would have felt totally justified in saying them. This was likely to be his last conversation with Caraway; he didn’t want it to be filled with him swearing at the old man. “And it’s because of that you felt it was okay to kidnap me and nearly kill me by using me to fuel some stupid shield?”

“I did _not_ know it would endanger you,” Caraway insisted, his tone stronger than it had been so far. “Desmen I swear I didn’t know.”

“But would you have cared?” Desmen’s mouth settled into a firm line when Caraway hesitated. “What hurts is not that you didn’t know, it’s that you didn’t even consider it. You didn’t care. That’s what it comes down to. You just didn’t care about what happened to me.”

Caraway’s expression became pleading, another first in Desmen’s life. “No, it’s that-”

Desmen slammed his hand down on the desk, nearly knocking over some of the trinkets his grandfather had collected. “You might have forgotten a lot of what happened, but I haven’t. You eyed me like a piece of meat when I came into your office. You had me knocked out and put into a chamber. You made my family and friends watch as you held me hostage. Momo, Seifer, Fujin, Raijin, and a bunch of Esthar and Timber soldiers had to risk their lives to save me from _you_. That’s what happened, and I will not forgive you for it.”

The silence that followed was powerful but unsettling. Caraway looked away from the screen, his jaw clenched as Desmen glared at him through the monitor, waiting for his response.

Finally, he said, “I know. I don’t expect you to. But you needed to hear the truth. I was under Cyder’s control, Desmen. He made a puppet out of me and used me to hurt you.”

“Because you let him.”

“Yes. Because I let him. And I will never forgive myself for it either. Now I have to take it to the grave, though that won’t be long now.” Caraway bowed his head, having turned back to the screen. “Just know that I never _wanted_ to hurt you. No grandfather wants to hurt his grandchild.”

Desmen once again looked over at the picture of Laguna and himself. “But that’s the problem. You never _were_ a grandfather. Let me ask you something.” He reached over and pulled the picture towards him. “Do you have pictures of me?”

“Of course I do,” Caraway answered, firm but unsure as to where he was going with this. “I have – had one on my desk.”

Desmen turned the picture over to show Caraway. “Is it like this? Are you and I together in it?”

He could see it in Caraway’s eyes when he realized the meaning behind his line of questioning. “No.”

“Because we were hardly ever together. I could probably count on both hands the number of times we were together, and even less on how many of those were particularly happy.” Desmen set the photo aside, his glare growing colder. “You were never there for me.”

“I had responsibilities to Galbadia-”

“What about your responsibilities to _me_ , to your family?” Desmen shouted, his temper slipping its leash. “Grandpa had responsibilities, too, but he was still there for me! He was more of a grandfather than you ever were!” His fingernails dug into the desk as his arms shook in fury. “How many birthdays were you there for? How many holidays? How many sleepovers? What about the time I was hospitalized with the flu, or when I broke my arm?” Unbeknownst to Desmen, he had begun to tear up. “Where were you then?”

All Caraway could do was bow his head in shame. Desmen snorted contemptuously as he wiped away the tears. “If you’re done, I’m-”

“Wait.” Caraway’s voice was weak, and Desmen was shocked to hear _tears_ in it. The General had never cried. His mother had told him he hadn’t even cried when Julia had died.

Today was a lot of firsts for the old man.

“Wait,” he repeated, lifting his head. “There’s one more thing. It’s something Cyder said to me.”

Desmen said nothing, merely waiting for Caraway to continue.

“I don’t remember the whole conversation…” Caraway faltered, struggling to bring back the fuzzy memory. “We were talking about the shield, I think. I had asked why he just didn’t use a sorceress instead of you, and he said, ‘That Leonhart boy and I are the same. He must be the one we use for this, so he will know a fraction of the suffering I’ve endured.’”

Desmen furrowed his brow. “What?”

Caraway shook his head. “I honestly don’t know what he meant. Cyder never told me much outside what we planned. Just… be careful, Desmen.” He ran a hand through his hair in agitation. “I think there’s much more to Cyder’s agenda than we’re aware of. He seems to have something against you.”

While Caraway was terrible at social relationships, he was good at social situations and getting a feel for people. Desmen trusted Caraway’s assessment of Cyder, if only because he knew the dishonored General had a knack for sensing hidden intentions in others. It was why he had been promoted to General in the first place. “Right.”

There was another pause. Desmen shifted uncomfortably, and asked, “When is the-”

“Next Friday.” Caraway shrugged nonchalantly. “It won’t be made public. The trial was publicized enough.”

“That was a quick trial,” Desmen remarked.

“Natalie’s doing. There was plenty of evidence against me anyway,” Caraway said dryly. The thought of his execution didn’t seem to bother him at all. His acknowledgment of his actions and his advanced age were likely the reasons why.

“I see.” Desmen stood up from his chair, his eyes trained on the screen. “Then this is it.”

Caraway nodded. “You knew that from the beginning.”

“Yeah.” Desmen glanced away from him, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. Hearing that it was their last conversation – _ever_ – was much harder than just thinking it. A part of him wanted to scream and shout at Caraway more for what he had done, but there was no point. Caraway was well aware of what he had done, and nothing could change it now.

With a sigh, Caraway said, “I think we’ve said all that needed to be said. Desmen, I truly am sorry, even though I know you won’t accept my apology. I still love you, even though I deserve worse than death for what I did. If I see your grandmother on the other side, well… I will get my just punishment for having to explain to her what I’ve done.”

When Desmen remained silent and kept his gaze averted, Caraway nodded. “Good-bye, Desmen.”

Right there Desmen just wanted to shut off the laptop and be done with him. But as he glanced back at Caraway, he knew he didn’t have the heart to do that. Maybe because deep down, he still loved him, or maybe because he didn’t want to leave him on such a bad note, but Desmen, instead of slamming the laptop in his face, said, “Good-bye… Grandfather.”

He closed the screen, and let it click shut. With a heavy sigh he turned and walked out of the office.

His thoughts were wandering and wheeling around, so much so that he almost didn’t see Laguna plopped down on a bench across from the doorway, waiting for him. Desmen almost took a step back, caught completely off guard. “Grandpa?”

Laguna gave him a half-smile. “How’d it go?”

Desmen looked down at the ground, his eyes saddening. “He…”

He didn’t have a lot of memories with his grandfather, but the handful that he had floated to the surface, along with the memories merely associated with him. He remembered the cancelled visits and the birthday presents always delivered in the mail, never in person. There were so many phone calls where Desmen would ask him when he was coming over, and almost always the answer was, “I don’t know. Work is busy right now.”

But then there were the few precious memories he cherished, like when Caraway sprung a surprise visit one Christmas. He also remembered the time Caraway had let him ride in a parade with him, and the way his grandfather had laughed as Desmen got a face full of ticker paper.

Again, he didn’t even realize tears were forming. This time, though, there was no stopping them. “Damn him,” Desmen said as his shoulders began to shake. “Why couldn’t he have – if he just hadn’t-”

Laguna immediately got up and walked to his grandson. “I know,” he said, pulling him into a hug. “I know. I don’t get it either.”

As Desmen tried to fight back the tears, failing miserably, Laguna added, “You’ve got me still. It might not be much but-”

“No.” Desmen put his arms around him. “No, it’s everything to me.”


	24. Moving forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michi helps Momo sort through some doubts as she dives into repairs, and Kevan eventually breaks the news.

Momo wasn’t in the garage for most of the first day of repairs to the Ragnarok. It wasn’t by choice.

She moaned in misery as she rolled over in her bed. Buried beneath a pile of blankets, she stared across the room she shared with Michi, who was resting in the other bed.

Her older sister sighed lightly as she said to Momo, “Too much cake?”

“Way too much.” Felled by a vicious stomach ache, Momo was miserable enough, but added to that she was missing out on the repairs and that was not sitting well with her. “Damn it all.”

“How much did you have?”

“As much as Desmen. _He’s_ fine. Well,” Momo’s voice softened in consideration, “physically anyway. Not sure how he’s doing in his head.”

Momo and the others, sans Michi, had found Desmen crying after his conversation with Caraway. Many had raced over to hug him, while Alin simply strode out and went to Deidra’s. His form of comfort had been to offer Desmen the biggest sheet cake he could get his hands on. Everyone had gone at the cake with gusto.

Although the cake had helped a little, Desmen was still out of sorts the next day, or so the sisters had heard from Lamis. Both of them were confined to their beds, though for entirely different reasons, and therefore were out of the loop save for what they had been told by proxy.

“He’ll be all right,” Michi said, though the worry in her eyes betrayed her true feelings. “He’ll need some time and our support.”

“I know. But I just – I feel terrible. I pushed him into talking to Caraway and then he came out in tears. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen Desmen cry.” Her tone was laden with guilt as she sunk further under the covers.

It wasn’t often Momo beat herself up. Michi considered this as she thought over Momo’s words. “No, he doesn’t cry often,” she said softly. “I understand why you feel bad, but you weren’t the only one pushing him, and you did so because you knew it was the right thing to do.”

“The right thing?” There was something in Momo’s tone that made Michi sit up more, something almost like bitterness. “What the right thing is for me isn’t necessarily the right thing for Desmen. I just charged in there like I always do and now look at what happened.”

And there was the root of the problem. It wasn’t just yesterday’s incident that had Momo doubting herself. Michi knew Momo well enough to be able to read in between the lines, and she knew there was something Momo was holding back. “This isn’t just about yesterday, is it? What else is on your mind?”

Momo gave her an annoyed look, the same look Taw always gave Yasu when he pressed him about something. Michi mused that perhaps it was some kind of universal expression only younger siblings knew of. “I just don’t like making Desmen cry,” Momo said, dodging Michi’s question.

The usually laidback Michi was persistent. “Momo,” she said, her voice holding a warning tone.

Cranky as she was, even Momo knew not to push Michi’s almost-infinite patience. Glowering at the opposite wall, she muttered, “I’m too pushy is all. With everyone.”

Her older sister tilted her head to the side. “How so?”

“I always have to get myself involved with everything. I always jump into situations and push my way in and it’s kind of surprising I haven’t gotten myself killed yet.” Her scowl deepened as she continued, “I threw myself at the Galbadians when we rescued Desmen. When Cyder attacked us on the Ragnarok, it was because I had needled him. You and I could have gotten killed _easily._ If I had been left to it I would have beaten up the White SeeDs at Dollet.” Under her blankets, her fist clenched in anger directed at herself. “If I-”

“If you weren’t so pushy, Kevan would be dead.”

Michi’s simple statement stopped Momo immediately. The younger Dincht blinked in surprise at her sister, who was looking at her quite seriously. “But…”

Michi shook her head, dismissing whatever argument Momo was cooking up. “If you hadn’t gone after him, Kevan would probably have died, Momo. As much as it still haunts me to picture you two out there in that blizzard, I’m also glad you were with him. You kept him alive.” She thought of the ring she wore on her hand, which she kept carefully hidden out of sight. Now was not the time to tell her sister the news. “Momo, you butt in to get things done. You’ve been in some pretty rough situations lately. You might have risked your neck, and while I don’t always like that, I know you did what you had to do.”

Her SeeD training had taught her how to cope with seeing friends and loved ones in danger. It wasn’t always pleasant, but Michi knew that’s just how it was, especially with her dive-in-head-first sister. When Momo seemed to still doubt herself, Michi added, “Mo, if we thought you were too pushy, one of us would have said something. Lamis and Alin, and even Yasu usually aren’t afraid to point out stuff like that. I don’t have a problem with it, Mom and Dad – usually – don’t have a problem with it, none of your friends do… so there’s no reason you should be worried. It’s just how you are.”

For the first time that day, Momo smiled. “You think so?”

Michi nodded, glad to see Momo returning to her usual cheery self. “Yes. You have good intentions, Mo. Even if Desmen is hurting right now, he’ll be glad later on that he talked to Caraway. It’s just going to take some time.”

“Do you think he’s mad at me?”

Michi seriously doubted it, but Momo needed more than just her opinion. “No. Desmen’s anger is over Caraway, not you. It’s the same with his grief. If he lashes out, it’s not because of you.”

“Right.” Momo turned onto her back, and winced when her stomach gurgled. “Ugh. How long is this gonna last?”

“Why don’t you just take some medicine?”

“Because meds are for pansies.”

Michi smiled in amusement at her sister. “Okay then,” she said, putting on a fake carefree voice. “I guess the Ragnarok will just have to be repaired by the Esthar mechanics. Without your help,” she added the last past as emphasis.

Momo leveled an annoyed glare at Michi. “You’re a dirty fighter, you know that?”

~*~

By midday Momo had caved and taken meds for her stomach ache. The medicine worked fast enough so that Momo was able to join the mechanics during the last few hours of the workday. It wasn’t until the second day that she really threw herself into the repairs, all the while cursing at the mechanics and keeping them on task. Nothing was thrown, as promised, but that didn’t mean she didn’t butt heads with them on several occasions.

Kevan and Michi (once she was better) often visited Momo and the mechanics in the garage to find them hard at work on the ship, discussing what should be done or what part should go where. They often brought food to them and were always met with gratitude when they did.

“Forget where the time goes,” Momo once remarked as she chowed down on a burger. The food was always annihilated upon arrival, seeing as they had been putting in 15 hour days.

While Momo and the other mechanics were busy restoring and putting the Ragnarok back together, the others relaxed in Esthar, passing the time with shopping, story- telling, and planning. A majority of the planning revolved around Cyder in some way.

Most of the time spent was amicable, with the parents slowly learning more about their children. While they were mainly confined to the Presidential Palace, they were always entertained in some way.

But there was one not-so-little issue that regularly threw both generations into heated arguments.

It was the question of how to deal with Cyder. The kids, especially Desmen, were keen on taking care of him as soon as possible. Their parents agreed on that point, but they diverged in just _who_ was going to fight Cyder. Both sides had valid arguments: the parents didn’t want to see their own kids get beat up while sitting back and doing nothing, not to mention they had previous experience with this sort of situation. Yet, the kids didn’t want their parents fighting him lest something should happen to one of them during the fight. The possibility for disaster was high.

All the arguments had ended in draws, usually broken up by Laguna or occasionally Ellone, when she was around.

Another one had almost started when Momo proudly marched in six days after they had arrived in Esthar and announced the ship was repaired.

“Really?” Bianca said excitedly, turning away from her father who she had just been in a heated staring contest with.

“Yep.” Momo, covered head to toe in dirt, grease, and oil, gave her the thumbs up. “We’re gonna test fly the ship tomorrow and see if everything goes okay, but it should be fine.”

The good news dispelled the would-be argument, for now. “I can’t believe you got it done that quickly,” Quistis noted with a tone of skepticism.

“We had a _lot_ of people working on it,” Momo explained. “And remember what I said about my coercion skills? They came into play quite a bit.”

“Momo…”

“No one got hurt!” she said defensively as she met her sister’s stern gaze. “Really! I didn’t throw one object! Not even a wrench.”

“Anywhoooo…” Bianca said before things could escalate. “Anyone up for some lunch to celebrate?”

“I think we all are,” Lamis said with several eyes brightened and stomachs growled.

“Let’s eat out,” Michi suggested enthusiastically. She quickly glanced at the older generation and added, “We’ll bring stuff back for you.”

Rinoa leaned towards Squall and said with a sly smile, “They don’t want to be around us anymore. We’re not cool enough.”

Desmen’s expression fell. “Aw, that’s not it. It’s just-”

“We are kind of old,” Quistis said with a solemn nod. “Kids never like being seen with their parents after a certain age.”

“They don’t love us anymore!” Selphie sobbed dramatically, playing along with the game Rinoa started. Irvine patted her back “comfortingly” as she continued to “sob” into his chest. “My babies hate me now!”

Lamis put her hands on her hips. “Okay. You’re making the nice ones feel bad,” she said, looking at Michi and Desmen who looked a little guilty. “and irritating the rest of us. You _know_ you can’t go out in public.”

“Yeah,” Zell admitted, “but it’s kind of fun laying the guilt trip on you.”

“Thanks,” Momo said drolly.

“We’ll be back soon,” Desmen said. “Besides, think of it this way: if Cyder attacks the Palace, who’s going to hold down the fort? Do you really want Grandpa to have to do it?”

There was a thick silence in the air as the adults considered the nightmarish scenario. Squall finally said, “Yeah, on that note, we’ll stay here.”

“Thought as much,” his son answered with a grin.

“Be good!” Taw teased as the kids began to head for the door.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Bianca added with a laugh.

Her brother snorted and said, “Wouldn’t it be more correct to say ‘don’t do anything I _would_ do?’ I know you too well and-”

“ _Hey!_ ” Bianca snapped as they walked into the hall.

Whatever argument brewed, the adults didn’t hear as the kids disappeared into the hallway. The last thing any of them saw was Yasu rolling his eyes and mumbling something “patience”.

Quistis leaned her head against her hand and smiled. “My God,” she said to herself.

However, the others overheard her and turned towards her. “What?” Rinoa asked.

“They really _are_ our children, aren’t they? It’s not like I didn’t understand that, but I think it’s really sinking in now.” She shook her head in wonder. “Whenever I look at Lamis, I would think ‘This is my daughter’. But honestly, I think there was a _supposedly_ somewhere in there. I kept telling myself she is my daughter, and I believed it, but I think there was still a part of me that thought of her as I would any other person. I accepted it as a fact but not the truth – I’m not making sense, am I?”

“Sometimes, I think they’re just totally separate people, ya know?” Raijin said. “Kind of like how Quistis put it. They’re like any Joe we’d meet on the streets. But then sometimes I see Taw grinnin’ and it’s like mine and it _hits_ me, ya know?”

“I get what you’re saying,” Rinoa said. “I felt an attachment to Desmen immediately, but it took me some time to accept him on a more natural level. I think it’s when I began to see me and Squall in him that I really began to accept it.”

“Kinda hard not to,” Seifer added with his usual smirk. “Considering he’s a spitting image of his Y chromosome donator.”

Squall shot him a mild glare as Rinoa glanced at Squall, considering Seifer’s comment. “Well, yeah, physically he has his build, his facial structure, and his eyes… okay yeah, he resembles Squall.”

“He’s more like you on the inside,” her knight said. “Lot of that free spirit. I think he’s got a thing for animals, too. Although the only thing I can’t comprehend is the cake obsession.”

“I think that’s just something unique to Desmen,” Rinoa said with a laugh. “He doesn’t have to get everything from one of us. Like he said, they’re our kids, not our carbon copies.”

“But it is scary how much they are like us,” Zell said, scratching the back of his head. “I mean, Michi’s more like her Ma, I’m thinking, but Momo’s got some of me in her – going with Raijin here: it’s _weird_.”

“Chicken-wuss,” Seifer said, his expression hidden beneath his hand, “don’t get me _started_ on your youngest.”

Surprisingly, Fujin added with a wry laugh, “Seifer, when will you admit that you don’t actually dislike the girl?”

“What?”

“Think about it. If you really did, you wouldn’t banter with her the way you do.” Fujin shook her head at him.

“Tch.” Seifer glanced away from her, for as much as he didn’t want to admit it, she was right. For some strange, twisted reason, he actually found the youngest Dincht interesting, if not amusing. “Whether I want to put up with her or not isn’t the issue. I’m going to have to – or my ‘future’ self will have to, anyway.”

“I’m sure she won’t treat you quite the same way when your ‘future’ self returns,” Quistis said. “Right now you’re so much closer in age to her that I think it’s easier for her to be so brazen around you. I’m sure it’s a different case with your older self.”

He shrugged. “Maybe, but that’s not what I meant.”

“Eh?” Zell raised an eyebrow. “Then what are you talking about?”

Back in Trabia, when Seifer had spotted something hidden in Kevan’s pocket, he didn’t know what it was at first. However, not long after his son left for his walk, leaving him with his cryptic words did Seifer realize what that object was. Really: a round, tiny object kept hidden in the pocket of a young man in love? What the hell _else_ could it have been?

He began laughing, although he wasn’t sure why. “We’re gonna be related someday, so I’ll have to put up with her.”

“That’s probably some time off,” Irvine said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“No. A year or two at most, I’m thinking.”

“How are you so sure?” Selphie asked.

“Kevan had a little round object in his pocket in Trabia. Said something about a future he thought he had lost. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but ever since we’ve been here Michi’s been hiding her hands.” Of course Seifer started looking for the signs as soon as he realized what had been in Kevan’s pocket. Michi had grown a sudden fondness for gloves and really long sleeves during the past week. The Ragnarok’s repairs and plans for the upcoming fight had kept everyone from noticing, Seifer surmised.

Zell’s mouth dropped; Seifer swore he could hear it hit the floor. “ _What?_ But – how – they’re…”

“Young and in love. It makes sense, Chicken-wuss. Kevan gets stars in his eyes whenever Michi’s around. There’s enough romance and mushy, gushy happiness to make people puke rainbows. And then he nearly lost her.” Seifer didn’t think less of Kevan for his choices or truly sneer at his relationship with Michi. Honestly, it was so sweet that he felt _obliged_ to make some fun of it. “You don’t know what you have until you lose it – or at least think you lost it – and he’s not stupid. He learned a rough lesson. Now he’s acting on what he’s learned. And if it means you and I have to be related as a result, then so be it. The most it’ll mean for us is that we have to be civil and try not to kill each other.”

Rinoa eyed him suspiciously. “I can’t help but notice that you’re handling it awfully well.”

“It’s like what you talked about. Sometimes it hits me Kevan’s my kid, and other times it just seems like he’s another person. Right now, I’m just handling it like he’s another person. If I can’t, copious amounts of alcohol will be required.”

“That sounds really good right now,” Zell said in a semi-strangled voice, his eyes fixated ahead of him.

“We still have no proof that they are,” Quistis pointed out, perhaps in an attempt to help him calm down.

“500 Gil says they are,” Seifer said with a smirk. He didn’t care in the least that Zell was ready to freak out. “Why else did Michi seem enthusiastic about going out to eat, and without us?”

~*~

The kids had chosen a spot in a local park to eat their food. They managed to squeeze onto a park table, which was really designed for only six or so people. Space was limited at best, but it was of little matter for the tight-knit group. A small pile of take-out bags sat on the ground nearby for their parents when they returned to the Presidential Palace. Food of all sorts, ranging from chef salads to Deling-style cheeseburgers were spread out on the table and were currently being devoured by nine hungry young adults.

Michi was careful to eat with her right hand the entire time. They both glanced at each other periodically, waiting for some cue from the other. He had understood why she had wanted to get just the nine of them alone. She didn’t want to hide their engagement from their friends any longer, and it seemed he agreed with her. Now it was just a matter of making the announcement.

The perfect opportunity arrived when Kevan helped Momo open a stubborn bottle of water for her. She grinned as she took it from him and said, “Thanks. Five points for you.”

“About those points…” Kevan picked up a chip, twirling it in between his fingers. He was putting on a disinterested air, but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “How am I doing exactly? What _is_ the total? I think in the entire two years you’ve been keeping count, I’ve never heard how many I had.”

“Uh…” Momo blinked, completely unsure as to how to answer. The others, except Michi, wore equally baffled expressions. In the entire two years Momo had been keeping count, Kevan had never bothered to ask her how many points he had either. His little sister-in-law (in-training-but-actually-soon-to-be) was desperately struggling to come up with a decent answer. “Well, the points fluctuate so often it’s impossible to say how many you have at _any_ given time, but you, uh, have a fairly good amount.”

Kevan smiled slyly. “Well, that’s always a comfort to hear. But I think I’m a bit unsatisfied. I’ve been ‘in-training’ for quite awhile. Aren’t I up for a promotion?”

“…A promotion?”

“One can only need so much training, and I figure I’ll earn enough points eventually.” He gave her a wink from across the table. “So how ‘bout it, chief?”

This was a rare, fun opportunity to see Momo extremely flustered. Kevan watched with a mixture of glee and pity as she desperately tried to formulate an intelligent response. From next to him, he caught the look Michi threw him, and he could only smile. She might not admit it, but she was enjoying it as much as he was.

“Well, uh, honestly Kevy, I think a ‘promotion’ isn’t something I can give out. You know, it would sort of involve you-”

Kevan nearly grinned when Momo paused, and he did when her eyes widened and it dawned on her what he was trying to say.

There was a moment when the others hadn’t quite caught up with Momo’s train of thought. It was an awkward span of time, as short as it was: Momo staring at them in shock while the others looked back and forth between her and the couple, trying to determine what had just happened. Then, one by one, Kevan could see the proverbial light bulb go off in each person’s head. Though she wasn’t the last one to figure it out, Bianca was the first to say, “Holy mother of Hyne. You’re _engaged_?”

For the first time in days, Michi showed her left hand. Kevan reached over and clasped her hand in his and lifted it up. It might not have been an expensive ring with a big diamond, but there was no mistaking its meaning.

Momo was unusually silent for another minute, and any reactions by the others were delayed as they waited for her to make the next move. The silence was so prolonged that Kevan began to worry that she wasn’t happy about the news. Somehow, maybe he had misread all her words and signals or maybe she believed they weren’t ready for the next big step. Maybe she was angry – and God help them all if that was the case.

She suddenly got to her feet, surprising everyone at the table. What she did next was only something _she_ would ever have done. With a humongous squeal, Momo _launched herself_ over the table and tackled Kevan, knocking him off his seat and onto the ground.

“ICAN’TBELIEVEITITHOUGHTYOU’DNEVERASKHER!” she screeched as she hugged him tightly, nearly cutting off his air supply.

With the tension dissipated, cheers and squeals broke out from the others as they shot up from their seats and ran over to the couple. Lamis and Bianca hugged Michi from both sides as Desmen and Taw ran over to Kevan, though they waited to do anything as Momo still had him in a death squeeze. Alin and Yasu, the calmest ones in the bunch, hung back a little, but even they wore ear-splitting grins.

Kevan laughed, or as much as he could with Momo’s arms constricting him. “I take it you’re okay with this?”

“Like there was any doubt.” She let go of him but immediately turned to her sister and gave her a huge hug (or at least as much as she could with Lamis and Bianca there). “You meanie! How could you hide this from me?”

“How long _were_ you hiding this?” Bianca demanded.

Desmen helped Kevan to his feet and gave him one of those one-armed hugs (or as Bianca liked to call it, “man hugs”). “You finally asked her,” he said with a chuckle. To everyone’s relief, he was smiling, something he hadn’t done in days.

“It’s not like I’ve been waiting for ages. I just wanted to wait until the right time. After what happened in Trabia, I realized that waiting was just stupid.”

“So you’ve been hiding it for about a week then,” Lamis said with a smirk. “I guess with everyone being so preoccupied with the repairs and what to do next, you were able to hide it right under our noses.”

“It’s not like we wanted to be sneaky,” Michi said softly. “It’s just that we wanted to tell you guys privately, and we really haven’t had a chance.”

“Understandable,” Yasu said with a nod as he clapped Kevan’s shoulder. “I take it you rather our parents not know then?”

“Not the current bunch,” Kevan said. “Can you imagine what would happen if Zell, or God forbid _my father_ found out?”

“Well, we’d have tonight’s source of entertainment for sure,” Lamis said with a grin. “But I get what you mean. It’s probably better if they don’t know. I think they’re still adjusting to even being parents. The thought of having children-in-law might just push them over the edge.”

“They have been handling things pretty well,” Michi said. “I’m a little more afraid that Dad’s over-protective streak will kick in and he’ll punch Kevan or something.”

“If they find out then oh well,” Bianca said with a wave of her hand. “What does it matter? This is a good thing!” She gave Michi another hug. “So when’s the big day?”

“Awhile off,” Kevan said, smiling apologetically when Bianca frowned in disappointment. “We’re not in a big rush. There’s a lot to plan and right now, we just sort of want to enjoy being engaged.” He glanced at his fiancé. “Right?”

She nodded, smiling warmly.

Momo turned to Kevan. “Well, in light of this and taking into consideration the points you’ve accumulated-”

“Like you were actually keeping track,” Taw said.

“Shut it,” Momo muttered darkly. “ _Anyway_ , I’ve thought over it and decided that you are in fact up for a promotion. You have now been promoted to brother-in-law-to-be. Congrats!”

Putting on a mock serious face, Kevan bowed to her. “I’m honored. Thank you.”

Bianca shook her head at them. “You two are so weird.”

“Well,” Desmen smiled gleefully as he stretched his arms. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think a celebration is in order. One that involves cake.”

Lamis burst out laughing as Alin rolled his eyes.

“I could go for some,” Michi said, trying not to giggle too much.

Instead of her usual enthusiasm, Momo just winced. “Oh man. Can I get ice cream instead?”

Michi tried not to laugh at Momo’s dread. She patted her sister on the back and nodded as the others began packing up the food and grabbing the take-away bags for their parents. Once everything was gathered, they began walking back towards town. The conversation centered around the newly engaged couple and their upcoming wedding (even if it was some time away). Naturally, Kevan and Michi were a little embarrassed by all the attention they were getting, especially since Lamis and Momo were having a fun time teasing them. However, they were glad for it. It was the first night in awhile that they didn’t talk about Cyder and the problems he brought or Caraway and the damage he had inflicted. If their being embarrassed allowed everyone to forget about those two men for one night, they were more than willing to endure the teasing.


	25. The man in the maniac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Ragnarok back up and running, they head for the Deep Sea Research Center for the sake of information on their enemy. They find out a bit more than they bargained for.

There was a slightly maniacal edge to Momo’s laughter the following morning when the Ragnarok’s engines started and the once wrecked ship roared to life. Bianca jumped up and down in excitement as Selphie gave everyone the thumbs-up through the windshield.

“Good job, Mo,” Lamis said as the ramp lowered and everyone began to climb aboard.

“Hold your praises. We haven’t flown her yet. She’s not one-hundred percent but she should function okay.”

“What do you mean by that?” Bianca asked as everyone got inside and the hatch began to close.

Momo scratched the back of her head. “It would take us at least another week to have repaired _everything._ That’s working practically non-stop, and I think we were about ready to drop after this week. We got the most important parts repaired: the left engine, the ship’s structure and the radio. However, the video conference capabilities aren’t functioning, and neither is the intercom on the ship. Also, I’d avoid some of the compartments onboard for the time being.”

“But the ship will fly?” Quistis asked, her brow raised skeptically.

“It will!” Momo insisted. “I neglected repairing the minor stuff to make sure it does! Now come on, we gotta get to the Research Center.”

The others nodded, hoping the ship would fly and not crash and burn (after all, they might not be so lucky a second time around). Once everyone was on the bridge, Momo gave Selphie and Bianca the go ahead and with bated breath, mother and daughter slowly started to pull on the gear. The ship slowly began its ascent, and everyone waited in tense silence as the ship hovered above the ground.

"Ready?" Bianca said to everyone. "It's all or nothing."

After receiving several nods, and after exchanging looks with her mother, Bianca clenched her jaw and moved the ship forward. The Ragnarok glided up and out of the garage dock, as seamlessly as it did before the crash in Trabia.

"So far so good," Momo said as she leaned over to look at the control panel. "Nothing's coming up that's alarming."

Ragnarok turned so it faced west, and Selphie set their course for Battleship Island. "I think we'll be okay. She's flying normally."

The ship sped forward, cutting through the air as it tore over the Esthar continent. A few minutes into the flight, after no major catastrophes occurred, everyone visibly relaxed, and chatter picked up.

"So, what's the clan gonna do?" Zell asked his daughters, glancing at both of them. "Their vehicles can't go over too much open water, right?"

"They're gonna wait for us at the edge of the Centra continent," Michi explained. "We'll go to the Research Center, check it out, and then if all goes well report back."

"What if we meet Cyder there?" Taw asked. From the concerned looks he was met with, it was obvious he wasn't the only one who had considered it.

Kevan scratched the back of his head. "It may lead to a confrontation, but I doubt it, honestly. He seems bent on avoiding us for the most part, sans the incident in Trabia."

"He's been trying to shake us from the start," Alin commented as he leaned against the radio panel. "He manipulated Nyvae into trying to kill us, and nearly succeeded with Bianca. He also controlled Caraway and had him make Desmen into a tool of war-”

Lamis elbowed him in the gut. He stared at her for a moment before it dawned on him and he glanced apologetically at Desmen.

Desmen waved it off. “It’s all right. I’m coming to terms with it.”

“If it weren’t for Delita and Laguna’s efforts – and you guys,” Lamis said, nodding to Momo and the Disciplinary Committee, “that would have killed him.”

“And that was after _we_ nearly got killed," Momo added.

"Then we all almost got killed again when Cyder crashed the ship," Irvine said. "That's not including when he attacked Michi and Momo."

Desmen shook his head. "This is getting really old," he said, referring to Cyder's repeated attempts on their lives. "What's he going to do next?"

Squall shrugged. "I don't know," he said when the others remained silent. "I don't understand this guy's thinking. Both of his plans have failed and yet he keeps coming after us. Is he just that desperate?"

"What scares me the most," Quistis said with a solemn expression, "is that he might have a Plan C we don't know about."

Yasu nodded in agreement. "It's likely he has another plan in the works, if he hasn't thought of one already. Though I do wonder what he could try to do next. Esthar is on full alert, as is Galbadia. Working through one of those nations won't work a second time. Timber is on alert as well, and every other nation I can think of is too small or weak to be of considerable use."

"Could he try Galbadia Garden?" Alin suggested. "He's already tried Balamb. There's Trabia as well, although I think Galbadia Garden is better equipped."

"I have a feeling President Armstrong would have thought of that," Desmen pointed out. "I'm sure the headmaster there has been alerted. Same with Trabia."

Lamis shook her head at the ideas the boys were pondering. "He won't try to go through another nation. The whole world is practically looking for him. No, he's gotten himself into a corner. I don't think he'll stop, but he might try to get someplace safe until he can figure out something else."

"Isn't that why he might be at the Research Center?" Selphie said.

"It's a good place to hide, but only temporarily," Squall said. "He won't stay there long."

"It's in the middle of the damn ocean," Seifer added. "It's no base of operations."

Rinoa suddenly lifted her head up. "What if he's trying to go back to his time?"

Desmen turned towards his mother. "Do you think he might?"

"It makes sense," Quistis said, her arms crossed in thought. "After all, we can't pursue him if he goes there. At least not as easily. I think we're right in that he's run out of ideas; he needs time now, to recuperate and to plan."

"Not to mention that if he goes back and manages to cook up another plot, he can just come back at whatever point in time and carry out his plans." Lamis' frown deepened the more she thought about it. "Yeah, he just might try to do that."

"Uh, but he can't, can he?" Momo said, her voice only half-sure. There was some doubt that crept in, doubt that stemmed from the fact that Cyder had had almost a week to recuperate and reanalyze the situation. "We took the device he was using to jump between times."

"We only took one, though." Squall nodded when the dreaded realization dawned on Momo. "There's another one out there somewhere. He never came for the one we took, so he probably has another one."

"Then we better find him before he decides to make the leap back," Fujin said. "And the best place to start is the Research Center. We'll go from there."

~*~

Battleship Island was the same as it had been when Squall and his friends had last been there. If anything, it was slightly more battered and worn down, but that was per course of an abandoned research facility.

Bianca landed the Ragnarok safely, and after a long debate with their parents, the kids managed to convince them to stay with the ship while they searched inside the facility. The compromise, though, was that they had to bring the walkie talkies stashed inside the ship with them.

“These are pretty decent,” Alin said as he handed his mother one walkie talkie. “I don’t know how well we’ll be able to communicate inside the facility, though. So don’t freak if we lose each other for a bit.”

“Save the panic until you hear explosions,” Taw joked.

After Yasu gave his brother a customary smack over the head, the kids headed for the facility, leaving their parents anxiously waiting onboard the Ragnarok. Once they made it inside, Kevan adjusted the dial on his walkie talkie before saying, “It’s Kevan, over.”

After a slight crackle, he was answered with, “ _It’s Selphie! We’re good to go! See anything?”_

“Wreckage, ruin, and debris.” Kevan glanced around. “It doesn’t look like anything’s been touched up here.”

“I doubt Cyder would be hanging on the ground floor,” Lamis commented. “If he’s here, he’s down below.”

“That’s a lot of floors to cover,” Momo said.

“Then we better get started,” Desmen said. “Let’s hop down the hole here and start with the floor below us.”

As they gathered around the hole left behind by Bahamut, Yasu swept his gaze over the entire group. “Everyone is armed, correct?”

“Yeah,” Desmen answered as everyone else nodded. “He’s not going to catch us off guard this time.”

“Selphie,” Kevan said into the walkie talkie. “We’re going to start searching the floors below. Radio contact might get trickier, okay?”

“ _Okie dokie. Be super extra careful!”_

“Will do. Let us know if anything comes up and-”

“ _Wait!_ ” Zell’s voice suddenly came over the radio. _“Look, I know this is important and all, but there’s something I gotta know first. I mean, this might be the final battle and then it’ll all be over. I just wanna know…”_ He hesitated, and said nothing further.

“Zell?” Kevan said, glancing in concern at the walkie talkie. “What is it?”

“ _Seifer said – you had something in your pocket at Trabia and it… it’s for Michi, right? What I’m sayin’ is, well…”_

In an effort to help, Selphie cheerfully finished, “ _He’s trying to ask if you two are engaged. Seifer seems to think so.”_

Kevan’s mouth dropped, and Michi gasped. “Why does he…?”

“ _He said there was a ring in your pocket, and then Michi started hiding her hand and…”_ There was the muffled sound of a fist hitting metal. _“Just tell me.”_

When Kevan lifted his eyes to meet Michi’s, she smiled calmly and nodded to him. With a deep breath, he tried to settle his nerves before answering, “Yes, we are.”

He was met with silence. The kids fidgeted, Kevan especially, as they waited for some kind of answer. Finally, after a painful two minutes, Quistis said, _“Congratulations, you two. I know your fathers would say something, but Seifer’s almost passed out on the floor in laughter. Don’t worry, he’s not laughing at the news,_ ” she said, trying to assure them. _“I think he’s rather happy for you._ ”

“Then why is he laughing?” Kevan asked skeptically.

“ _Because of the look on Zell’s face. Zell would say something, but I think he’s literally in shock right now. He’s curled up in a ball in the corner, rocking back and forth. We’ll get him to come around. Just start searching and keep in touch.”_

“Sure. See ya,” Kevan said in a hesitant tone before pocketing the walkie talkie. His expression was bemused as he added, “Did I just knock Zell into a catatonic state?”

“Oh he’ll be fine,” Momo said with a roll of her eyes. “He’s almost as dramatic as Irvine sometimes. If we’re done breaking our parents’ minds, can we get going?”

“Yeah. Let’s deal with poor Zell later,” Lamis said as she peered down the hole. “Cyder’s not going to wait around. Everyone ready?”

Everyone nodded, and one by one, they jumped down into the hole and onto the floor below.

~*~

After an initial search, the first floor turned up with nothing. Bianca put her hands on her hips as she glanced around. “Darn it, I hope we don’t have to go _too_ far down. If our parents’ account is anything to go by, it gets creepy down there.”

“At least Ultima Weapon won’t be down there,” Alin pointed out. “Then again, I suppose Cyder’s not a better alternative by much.”

Taw glanced at the stairs leading down to the next floor, and suddenly said, “Hey, are those stairs supposed to be open?”

“Well, when our parents came through here,” Lamis said, “they opened them, and I doubt anyone’s been here to close them again. If Cyder’s here, I doubt he would have gone through the trouble of closing them.”

“I guess. I dunno, it just feels weird.” He scratched the back of his head. “I figured they’d have something in place to close them automatically, or something.”

“This facility is _old_ ,” Alin said as he peered behind a hatch. “I’m not sure if they would have had that capability, or the foresight to install it.”

“This entire system is weird,” Momo added. “I mean, steam units? And why do you have to have the _exact_ amount to get down there? Seems sort of inconvenient if you ask me.”

Michi shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe they installed it when they decided to abandon the island, so it would be more difficult to get down to the bottom. They left this place for a reason.”

“As Squall and the others discovered,” Yasu said. “I wonder if it was Ultima Weapon that made them abandon this place in such a hurry, or if it was-” Suddenly he frowned, and looked around. “Where’s Taw?”

“Uh…” Kevan glanced at the stairs. “He was there last time I saw him.”

“Damn it,” Yasu cursed as he strode over towards the stairs. “He must have gone down. I’ll go after him.”

“I’ll report to our parents, and after another quick search up here we’ll meet you two down there, okay?” Kevan said.

Yasu merely nodded before hurrying down the stairs, and he immediately began searching for Taw once he made it to the bottom. “Taw!” he called out, keeping his pitch high without raising his voice too much, lest he attract any unwanted attention.

His little brother poked his head out from behind a corner he had been searching. “Yo.”

Yasu clenched his jaw as he stared down Taw. “You imbecile! Why did you come down here by yourself? If you had run into Cyder-”

“Relax,” Taw said with a roll of his eyes. “I listened and watched from the stairs before I came down here. Besides, you guys were only a floor above me. I’m not that inept, thanks.”

Brushing off his brother’s added barb, Yasu sighed and said, “It’s still dangerous. Just because you’re a trained fighter doesn’t mean you can walk around on your own in a place like this.” He glanced around, searching for any signs of Cyder and ignoring Taw’s annoyed glare. “While we’re down here we may as well search. It-”

A flash of light emitted from the stairs leading down to the third floor. The brothers glanced at each other in confusion before turning towards the stairs. “Did you see that?” Taw asked.

“Yeah.” Yasu walked quietly towards the steps before cautiously peering down. “We’ll investigate. Stay behind me.”

“Fine.” Taw walked over to him, and carefully both boys climbed down the stairs, keeping their steps light.

As Yasu approached the third floor, he suddenly stopped in his tracks as his eyes peered over the stairwell. He motioned for Taw to get down. It only took Taw one glimpse over the edge of the staircase to realize what Yasu had seen and to immediately duck out of sight.

Cyder was on the far side of the room, crouching near a small pile of scrap metal and documents. “Damn it,” the young man said as he stared down at a document in front of him. “It’s hopeless, isn’t it?”

Taw and Yasu exchanged confused glances.

Their enemy got up and began pacing in a circle, his arms crossed. “I’ve managed to avoid my adversaries for now, but I can’t dodge them forever. I thought maybe if I could build a modified device I could…” With a heavy sigh, Cyder suddenly dropped to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest. “Who am I kidding? I don’t know enough to engineer these things so I can go forward in time. I can’t go home now.”

Yasu’s eyes widened as he listened to Cyder moan about his predicament. Yasu and the others – along with Cyder, it seemed – had thought the devices he was using could send him to the past _and_ the future. Yet, it seemed that the devices did not have a two-way functionality. Cyder had leapt back to the past, without realizing he’d have no way of getting himself back to his time. He had unintentionally stranded himself.

For the first time since he had met Cyder, his enemy seemed to act more his age. The person crouched down on the floor didn’t seem like an evil, crazy magic-wielder out for blood.

He just seemed like a scared kid.

If Cyder hadn’t done what he had done, and if he hadn’t tried to kill several of Yasu’s loved ones in the past several days, Yasu might have felt sorry for him. He could feel the pity forming, and he quashed it before it had a chance to emerge. Cyder didn’t deserve it, even if he did make for a sorry sight.

Cyder glanced up and tilted his head as he stared out the window and into the deep blue beyond. “It seems like I don’t have a choice. I’ve got to try again. Time Compression is the only way I could get home, and…” He shook his head, his brow furrowed. “It was my original goal, after all. So, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll try again.” His usual confidence returned as he stood to his feet. “I’m going to avenge her. And I will honor her memory by doing what she could not.”

 _He must be talking about Ultimecia,_ Yasu surmised. _Squall was right. Everything this guy has done was to avenge her._

“A world without time’s painful ravages. A world without SeeD hunting her and her kind down like animals. Was that so much to ask for?” Cyder slammed his fist against the wall. “Damn it, I’ll kill SeeD for that.” His body began to shake as his fists tightened. “I’ll kill those responsible for her suffering, and for taking her away from me.”

Yasu and Taw continued to listen in silence, wondering where he was going with his rant.

Cyder walked to the window and pressed his forehead against it. “Yeah, I’ll get Squall Leonhart and his companions for her death. Though I wonder if they’re really the ones who took her away.” He shook his head after a moment of consideration. “No, they didn’t. I think I lost her long before that.”

Yasu dared to take a peek over the edge of the stairwell, and was surprised to find tear tracks running down Cyder’s face. He was… crying?

“When Father died, that was… that was the beginning of the end, yeah.” He glanced down at the floor, his eyes distant. “That’s right. That’s when Mom became ‘Ultimecia’.”

Yasu’s mouth dropped, and he heard Taw whisper a disbelieving “ _What?_ ” under his breath. Cyder wasn’t just some admirer or follower, like Yasu had thought. He was her son, and that changed his outlook on everything that had happened so far.

Suddenly, Momo’s voice rang from somewhere up above, “Taw, Yasu! Where are you?”

Both brothers froze in surprise. Cyder’s head snapped up, and his eyes narrowed. “Who’s there?” he demanded, and the grieving young man was gone, replaced by the hateful man Yasu was familiar with.

“Run, Taw!” Yasu shouted before turning and charging up the stairs. Taw was on his feet in an instant as they both bolted.

As Yasu ran up the stairs, close on Taw’s heels, he could hear Cyder chasing after them. “Keep running!” he shouted to his brother as they reached the second floor.

Momo was at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes wide in confusion. “What’s-”

“Go, go!” Taw yelled, pushing her towards the stairs as Cyder shot off a Flare spell. It exploded just above Yasu’s head, sending the older boy toppling.

“Yasu!” Taw pushed Momo in the direction of the stairs before starting to run back for his brother.

“No!” Yasu was already climbing to his feet, stumbling towards the stairs as Cyder emerged from downstairs. “Keep going! Just keep going!”

Taw took out one of his daggers. “Duck!”

Yasu did, and as soon as his head went down Taw threw the dagger at Cyder. It lodged into his leg, and the young sorcerer howled in pain as Taw helped Yasu up the stairs.

Once they reached the top, Kevan helped Taw with Yasu as the others made a run for the exit. “Come on!” Lamis shouted as the three boys ran as fast as they could towards the hole that lead up to the ground floor.

Just as they began their climb up, the building began to shake. “What’s that?” Bianca said as they looked around, waiting for something to happen.

 _“Guys!”_ Selphie shouted over the radio. “ _What’s going on? We can feel the shaking from here!”_

Kevan struggled to pull out the walkie talkie as the shaking continued. “Yasu and Taw ran into Cyder and he wasn’t happy,” he managed to respond, shouting over the noise. “I don’t know what he’s doing right now.”

Suddenly there were a series of loud cracks from above them. Lamis looked up, and her eyes widened. “Oh hell.”

Pieces from the facility broke free and fell down towards the hole. The structure moaned before the walls began to crumble all around them.

“He’s bringing the building down on us!” Desmen shouted. “Everyone jump down, now!”

They leapt, and just as they landed, the hole above them caved in as the remains of the floor above fell down on top of them. The kids made a run for it, but the sheer force of the wreckage crashing down collapsed the floors, and they were in free fall as the floors below buckled.

With shouts and screams, they tumbled down all six floors until they finally landed in the Deep Sea Deposit. The wreckage that fell with them landed all around, filling gaps left behind in the deposit. After long minutes, it finally quieted down, and they were left in eerie silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter finally gave Cyder a long overdue dose of characterization and backstory. Also, I upgraded from destroying airships to landmarks. Yay?


	26. Brother's resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trapped beneath the Research Center, the kids scramble to regroup, and Taw quickly puts aside old annoyances towards Yasu when his life is threatened.

Taw groaned as he opened his eyes. He lifted his head, and regretted doing so as a sharp pain immediately shot through it. “Ah, fuck,” he muttered as he gripped his head, wishing for the pain to ebb away.

To his left, he saw Kevan on the floor, unconscious. He crawled over to him and shook him, trying to wake him up. “Kev! Kev, c’mon,” he said.

He found the walkie talkie next to him. As he tried turning it on, he realized that it was broken. The casing was smashed in, and the knob had popped off.

“Great.” Taw tossed the radio to the side.

With that option gone, he knew his next priority was to check on the wounded. He checked Kevan, making sure he didn’t have any life-threatening injuries. He felt his back and his neck, and when he didn’t feel anything out of place, he moved onto his head.

There was a nice gash on Kevan’s forehead. Taw winced as he turned him over and took out a handkerchief he had in his pocket. He pressed it against Kevan’s wound, leaving it there before he stood up.

Near the stairs, he spotted Lamis laying on her side. He hurried over towards her. “You okay?” he asked as he bent down next to her, even though he didn’t expect a response from the clearly unconscious SeeD. He checked her vitals and her vulnerable areas for injury. Satisfied she wasn’t seriously hurt, he picked her up and carried her towards Kevan. “You two just stay here,” he said as he set her down.

He heard a cough from down below. He quickly crossed the platform and went down the path towards the next level. “Who’s there?”

A long pause ensued before a voice called out, “Taw?”

“Michi?” Taw looked around, searching for some sign of her.

“I’m trapped under something,” she said.

Taw something move up ahead, and he ran over towards it. Once he reached it, he saw a pair of hands pushing against a large rock that had wedged itself between two columns. To be more correct, it was wedged between a column and Michi.

“Hang on!” Taw said as he helped her push it.

“Kinneas twins to the rescue!”

From further down the path, Bianca and Alin were sprinting towards them. When they made it, they positioned themselves around the rock and helped Taw and Michi push the rock out from between the columns. After a good minute of pushing and huffing, they finally got it loose and the rock fell out.

“Phew,” Bianca said as Alin and Taw helped Michi stand. “What is it with us and getting trapped under or between stuff?”

“Lifestyle hazard,” Taw joked.

Alin looked Michi over, obviously checking for injuries. “How badly are you injured?”

“I think I broke a rib,” Michi said, rubbing the spot where she believed the injury was. “It hurts to breathe a bit, and that rock hit me here. I also twisted my knee.”

“Ow,” Bianca said with a sympathetic wince as she looked down at Michi’s knee, which was slightly bent askew.

“How about you guys?” Michi asked.

“I hit my head, but I’m okay otherwise,” Taw said.

“Alin hurt his back again,” Bianca said, “and I did a number on my thigh.” She lifted up the hem of her shorts, revealing a huge bruise on her left thigh. “I think we all got beat up.”

“I found Lamis and Kevan,” Taw said. “They’re both KO-ed, but they didn’t seem to be seriously hurt. They’re just up the stairs.”

They turned to head for the stairs when they heard Momo shouting for them. “Guys? Hello-o-o-o!”

“Momo!” Taw hollered, trying to spot the teen.

Suddenly, Momo appeared up ahead where Lamis and Kevan were. She blinked in surprise, but immediately broke out into a relieved smile. “Hey! Everyone okay?”

“We’re all a bit beat up,” Michi said as they made their way towards her. “Where did you come from?”

Momo pointed up towards the ceiling, where the wreckage and steel from the above floors had met to create a massive ceiling. “I was trapped in a space between some beams. I twisted my shoulder but otherwise I’m okay. I couldn’t get back up, so I came down here.”

“You couldn’t find a way through?” Bianca asked, her voice despondent.

Momo shook her head. “Afraid not.”

“We’re really trapped down here,” Michi said, looking up at the ceiling. “How are we going to get out?”

“Our parents have the ship,” Momo said. “The arms _should_ be operable. They’ll get to us somehow. I’m sure they have an idea of what happened. All we gotta do is wait.”

“We haven’t found Desmen or Yasu,” Taw said, glancing over his shoulder towards the deeper reaches of the deposit. “I’m gonna go look for them.”

“I’ll go with you,” Momo said.

“But-”

“I’m not that banged up,” she argued, “and if Cyder is down there, you can’t take him on alone. I’ll be fine.” She smiled at him, patting her chakrams at her side. “Two sets of eyes are better, anyway. Let’s get going.”

~*~

They set off for the lower levels of the deposit, leaving the radio behind with the others. As they climbed down, searching for their missing friends, Momo couldn’t help but comment, “Hey, we haven’t run into any monsters.”

“Maybe it has something to do with Ultima Weapon being gone,” Taw said as he looked inside what appeared to once be a building of some kind. “That or they’re farther down.”

“Don’t say that,” Momo muttered. “We shouldn’t be walking around like this as is, let alone fight.”

“We’re the ones searching because we’re the ones who didn’t get hurt,” Taw pointed out.

“That we’re aware of.” Momo rolled her shoulder and winced. “I’m not sure just how damaged my shoulder is, and you could be suffering a concussion.”

Taw rubbed his head; the pain had grown dull, and his vision seemed fine. However, he knew Momo had a point. “I know. I’m keeping an eye on it.”

“We should just be careful is all I’m saying,” Momo said as she looked around. “And take it easy. We have to find Desmen and Yasu and get the hell out of here.”

“As long as we don’t run into Cyder.” Taw paused, remembering what he and Yasu had overheard. “Speaking of, Yasu and I overheard Cyder talking to himself. He said some stuff and… well, it’s _big_.”

Momo raised her brow. “Like, you overheard something big?”

Taw nodded. “I’ll tell you once we’re all together.”

Deciding not to argue with him, Momo nodded and walked further ahead. She frowned when she saw the path split in two. “Darn it.”

“Then we’ll each take one,” Taw said as he walked up next to her.

Momo shot him a frown. “Taw-”

“Just for five minutes,” he quickly added. “We walk for five minutes, look, and meet back here. Unless one of us finds something. Then we holler.”

Momo nodded hesitantly. “Fine. Five minutes and that’s all. Understood?”

Taw rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you in a few.”

He took the right path, and Momo headed off to the left. Although Taw didn’t act concerned, he really was. The farther he walked, the more he wished they hadn’t split up, not that he would ever admit it out loud. He had only been walking for two minutes, and he was already getting anxious.

“Where the hell are you, Yasu?” Taw muttered as he glanced around, looking for some sign of his brother. It was strange not to have his brother hovering nearby, watching him like a hawk.

A sharp voice drifted up from up ahead. Taw froze, going so far as holding his breath as he continued to listen. At first he couldn’t make out anything, but then he could begin to distinctly hear his brother’s voice.

“I was the only one!” Yasu said from somewhere up ahead.

Hurrying towards the source of the voice, Taw tried to run lightly and quietly, though the scattered rocks and debris made it difficult. “Damn it!” he cursed quietly when he nearly tripped over a crack in the floor.

As Taw drew near, another voice emerged, one that Taw didn’t want to hear. “Were you now? And what of the boy that was with you? The one you told to run away?”

 _Shit, it’s Cyder,_ Taw realized as he slid to a stop, his hairs standing up on end. Looking around, he was puzzled not to see his brother or Cyder. _Where the hell-_

Yasu screamed, and Taw felt his blood run cold as the sound resonated off the walls. His breath quickened as he began to look around frantically for his brother. “Where are you?” he whispered, terror climbing up his throat. He’d never heard Yasu scream like that in his life.

It was then he saw a ledge up ahead. He scampered up to it and peered over the edge. He found who he was looking for, but what he also saw made his heart skip a beat.

His brother was kneeling on the floor, the dagger Taw had thrown at Cyder now lodged into his side. Cyder was standing at his side, his expression twisted into one of disgust and frustration. “The other boy overheard everything as well, did he not?”

“He came in right before you spotted us,” Yasu said, grimacing in pain.

Taw barely breathed, though his body was shaking in fright and worry for his brother.

“The pain will stop if you simply tell me the truth,” Cyder said, bending down so he was eye to eye with Yasu. “You insist he wasn’t there, yet I can’t believe you. You’re trying to protect him. He is your little brother after all, if memory serves me correctly.”

Yasu shook his head. “If you don’t believe me, then why are you bothering to question me?”

“Because I want to hear it from your lips.” Cyder gripped the dagger’s handle. “Did your brother also overhear my words or not?”

“I said no!”

Cyder twisted the dagger in Yasu’s side. The young man screamed again, and Taw had to cover his mouth with his hand to muffle any noise that threatened to escape. On top of his worry was guilt; his brother was in agonizing pain because he was protecting him. _Shit, damn it, shit… Yasu…_

“So you’ll die protecting your brother?” Cyder shook his head as he grabbed Yasu by the throat. “Aren’t little brothers supposed to be annoying shits that argue with you and irritate you? Surely yours is the same. Is that really worth protecting?”

Yasu nodded stubbornly, even as he struggled to breathe.

“Fine.” Cyder put his hand on his scythe, drawing it out slowly. “Then you’ll die with your secret.”

Adrenaline shot through Taw’s system, overriding his fear. In an instant, he leapt off of the ledge and before he even realized what he was doing, he slammed into Cyder. The impact was strong enough to force Cyder to release Yasu and send him and Taw stumbling across the floor.

“Son of a bitch!” Taw shouted, his adrenaline fueling his anger as he got to his feet. “You want answers? Get them from me!”

“For a loudmouth,” Cyder said, his eyes flat, “you’re rather sneaky.”

Taw twirled his remaining dagger in his hand as he stood between Cyder and Yasu. “Or maybe you suck at minding your surroundings. We might be kind of young, but you gotta remember…” He pointed the sharp end of his weapon at Cyder. “You’re up against trained professionals.”

“Ah, but you’re still in training, aren’t you?” Cyder smiled blandly. “I’m up against a rookie at best.”

“I’m good enough.” Taw smiled cynically in return. “Half the team that kicked your mom’s ass were rookies and two weren’t even SeeDs.”

He hoped he would piss off Cyder with that little remark, and he got what he wanted. Cyder screamed and lunged at him, scythe swinging. Taw deflected with his dagger, though the force was still enough to knock him back.

“You don’t bring a knife to a gun fight,” Cyder snapped as he looped his scythe above his head. “Nor a dagger to a fight with a scythe.”

Taw’s answer was a fist to Cyder’s jaw. “Then you bring your fists,” he retorted.

Cyder shot off a Firaga spell. Taw quickly countered with a Reflect spell, barely casting it in time to deflect the spell Cyder cast.

His opponent ‘tsk-ed’ at him. “Now you cannot heal yourself.”

Taw wisely decided not to mention the two Hi-Potions he had tucked away. Not that he planned on using them; although he had been verbally and physically sparring with Cyder, he hadn’t forgotten about his brother. “Oh stuff it,” he said, glancing over his shoulder to see if Yasu was okay. “You’re just whining because you have to duke it out without your pretty magic.”

 _Maybe I should stop antagonizing him,_ Taw thought as Cyder swung at him repeatedly. The younger man grunted as he had to deflect Cyder’s barrage with his little dagger. _I swear, if I survive this, I’m investing in a bigger weapon for blocking, like a freaking shield._

The longer they fought and exchanged blows, the weaker his Reflect spell was getting. It didn’t take Taw long to realize that Cyder was only waiting until the spell wore off. He needed to think of another strategy.

When Reflect finally wore off, Taw ran and slid towards Cyder. He sliced at Cyder’s pivoting leg, cutting through the muscle and sending Cyder to his knees. Just as he turned to plant the blade into his back, he was met with a hand just inches from his face.

He barely brought his arms up in time to protect his face from the Thundaga spell that Cyder cast. His body shook violently from the jolt as he tumbled back. He landed on his side, and though he was in pain, he immediately rolled over to get to his feet.

Cyder was already standing, despite his injury, and was staring at Yasu. He glanced over at Taw, then back at Yasu.

Taw immediately caught onto his train of thought. “I’m your opponent, not him,” Taw said, his teeth clenched.

Cyder hooked the blade of his scythe around Yasu’s throat, though he didn’t pull. He lifted his other hand and stuck it out towards Taw. “I never had siblings,” Cyder said. “They tease and torment each other, and yet they would die for each other. So I’ll ask you…” He slightly shifted the blade around Yasu’s neck. “Will you let your brother die for you, or...” He motioned with the hand aimed at Taw. “Will you protect him instead?”

“You’ll kill us both anyway,” Taw said, his legs beginning to shake.

“But are you willing to take that chance?” Cyder asked, tilting his head to the side. “Or do you want to watch your brother die? Then again, he’d have to watch you die.” He shook his head, as if perplexed.

Taw swallowed hard. “Why are you doing this?” he said, his voice low and shaky.

“I might ask why your parents did this to me!” Cyder screamed, his grip on his scythe tightening. “I’ve had to suffer, too! I’ve had to make impossible decisions! I’ve had to run and let my father die at the hands of SeeD and watch my mother slowly lose her mind!” His chest was heaving in and out from the yelling. “I had to sacrifice her in order to save myself from the madness she created, and now I have to live with my choice. It’s not fair. I’m not the only one who should be suffering!”

“Your mother was out of her mind!” Taw shouted. “Squall and the others had no damn choice! Either they stopped her or the world – all of _time_ – would be gone as we know it!” He shook his head, struggling to get his thoughts in order as his emotions spiked. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry about what happened to you, but don’t-”

“I don’t want your damn pity!” Cyder yelled before firing off a Meltdown.

Taw gasped and braced himself for the impact, but it never came. Someone leapt in front of him and deflected the spell before charging at Cyder. Hearing the commotion, Taw looked up, and his eyes widened as his rescuer’s spear crashed against Cyder’s scythe. “Desmen!”

“Momo’s on her way!” Desmen yelled over his shoulder as he parried Cyder’s attack. “Take care of Yasu!”

Nodding, Taw hurried to his brother. “Hang in there,” he murmured as he took off his shirt and wrapped it around Yasu’s wound. “Cavalry’s arrived.”

Yasu rubbed his neck, smearing some of the blood that trickled out of the light scratches that Cyder’s scythe left behind. He removed his hand and looked down at it, his expression perturbed.

“Cure.” Taw cast the spell, aiming for Yasu’s neck. It wasn’t a strong spell, but it was sufficient to heal the scratches. “Sorry. I don’t have any stronger spells on me, but…” He pulled out one of his Hi-Potions and opened it. “Chug it, bro. I’ve got another one in here, too.”

With a battle yell, Momo’s chakram soared over the brothers’ heads and cut Cyder’s arm, making him drop his scythe. Before either of them processed what happened, Momo was already running past them, casting a Water spell.

Taw watched as Momo and Desmen battled with Cyder, pushing him back further and further. He didn’t look away from the fight until he heard something clatter onto the floor next to him. He nearly jumped in surprise from the unexpected noise. He looked down, and saw the Hi-Potion bottle roll until it bumped into his foot. Yasu slumped forward, and his head barely missed hitting the floor as Taw snatched out his arms to catch him.

“Yasu!” he said, giving his brother a shake. When Yasu didn’t respond, Taw fought to suppress his panic as he took his shirt and pressed it harder against the wound to prevent more blood loss. “Hang on!”

Momo must have saw what happened, since she suddenly motioned to Desmen. “Let it rip!”

Rays of golden light shot out from around Desmen: a Limit Break was coming. Desmen charged at Cyder, but as his opponent braced himself for an attack, Desmen surprised him by throwing his spear into the air. He ran up to Cyder and leapt at him, using Cyder’s body as a springboard to flip back into the air. He grabbed his spear as it fell towards him, but instead of hurtling it, he left off a chain of spells at Cyder, pummeling his foe and knocking him back.

“Sorcery’s Hail!” Desmen threw his spear as hard as he could, sending it streaming through the air towards Cyder.

However, just seconds before it could reach him, Cyder teleported out of the area. The spear hit the ground where he had been, leaving a nice crack in the cement.

“Damn!” Momo said as Desmen landed. “That could have done him in!”

“At least it got him out of here.” Desmen turned and hurried towards Taw and Yasu. “How bad is he?” he asked Taw as he bent down next to them.

“He passed out.” Taw repeatedly tapped the side of his brother’s face, trying to wake him.

“Momo to the rescue!” She slid over to them and pulled out a Phoenix Down. “This should bring him around.” She used it on Yasu, and the three of them waited as it took effect.

Yasu slowly opened his eyes and groaned. “Ow. Damn it.”

“Drink up,” Taw demanded, immediately lifting the Hi-Potion to Yasu’s lips. “If you don’t drink this, you’ll just pass out again.”

As he helped him drink the potion, a sudden rumble echoed through the deposit. Momo and Desmen got to their feet, their eyes scanning the area. “What’s going on?” Momo asked.

The ceiling vibrated once, then twice before it was suddenly blasted away. The kids down below covered their ears as another blast tore through the ceiling, clearing more debris. As the dust cleared and the rubble stopped falling, the Ragnarok’s head came into view through the newly made hole in the ceiling.

“Geez,” Momo said as she looked up. “I didn’t think they’d be nuts enough to blast their way in.”

“Whatever.” Taw hooked Yasu’s arm around his shoulder and slowly rose to his feet. “We need to get him out of here and to a hospital. The others need medical attention, too.”

“Let’s go.” Desmen grabbed his spear as Momo helped Taw with Yasu. “We’re getting out of here.”

They began walking – or in some cases limping – their way back towards the top, just as ropes fell from up above to bring them back to the surface.


	27. Generational conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids have a hard decision to make.

It took two days for Yasu and the others to heal from their injuries (and that was with liberal casting of Cure spells). It took two days for Taw to realize he hadn’t told the others what he and Yasu had heard in the Research Center, and for Yasu to realize he hadn’t said anything either. Two days went by before any of them could even talk about what had happened on the island.

It was also two days before the kids realized what needed to be done.

It was as dusk was setting in on the second day, and as Taw stared out the window of Yasu’s recovery room in Esthar he remembered what Cyder had said.

His head snapped up, his eyes wide as he exclaimed his surprise. The others, all lounging about in Yasu’s room, glanced over at him. Yasu also gave his brother a questioning look from his bed. “What is it?”

“We didn’t tell them about what Cyder was talking to himself about!” Taw gestured to the others, who were steadily looking more confused. “Remember? Before he spotted us?”

Bianca glanced at Taw, then at Yasu, expecting a quick answer. “Well?”

Yasu shifted in bed, trying to get comfortable. “A few days after Desmen was rescued from Deling City, we all heard about Cyder for the first time. Do you remember what Squall and President Armstrong had said about Cyder’s connection to us?”

“They were thinking that he knew Ultimecia,” Lamis answered. “This whole thing is probably to get revenge for her. That’s the theory, anyway.”

Taw chuckled wryly, though there was little humor to be found in the situation. Likely he was laughing at the irony of it. “He is. He didn’t just know her, though. He’s her son.”

The others had the benefit of exclaiming their surprise and shock out loud, unlike Taw and Yasu two days ago. “ _What?_ ” Momo screeched as Michi’s mouth dropped.

“Are you serious?” Alin demanded.

“That’s what he said,” Taw said with a shrug.

Lamis sunk back in her seat, her eyes wide as she tried to process the news. “Did we know she was a mother?”

“Our parents never said anything about it,” Kevan said, thinking it over. “Neither did Odine. I doubt they knew about it. We would have heard otherwise.”

“Why wasn’t he in her castle?” Bianca asked. “I mean, when our parents went there to confront her. Where was he?”

Yasu scratched the back of his neck; he was hesitating, or uncomfortable with what he had to say. “I had wondered that, too, but if I recall, he said something about having to abandon her. But I was bleeding half to death so I’m not sure if I heard it right.”

“He said he had to sacrifice her to save himself or whatever,” Taw clarified, trying not to remember the situation at the time. “Sounds to me like he had to bail when things got too far out of hand.”

“Why _did_ things get so bad?” Michi pondered out loud. “I doubt even Ultimecia was evil from the start.”

“Cyder mentioned his father.” Yasu stared uneasily at Taw, exchanging knowing looks with him before continuing, “He said he had died at the hands of SeeD, and it was after that I believe is when Ultimecia went downhill.”

“His dad’s death probably triggered it,” Taw said. He looked just as anxious as Yasu, and he kept crossing and uncrossing his arms in a fit of nervousness. “It’s sort of a leap, but… do you think his father was her knight?”

Desmen stared down at the ground, his hands clenched tightly together. “Most likely,” he said.

Momo reached over to him and squeezed his shoulder. “You okay?”

“It was easier to believe that Ultimecia was just evil because... well, just because. But to think that maybe she only became this way because SeeD killed her knight…” Desmen shook his head, though it did nothing to ease the pain – and the guilt – he felt, though he was not a SeeD himself. “Were the SeeDs of her time responsible for taking a sorceress’ only hope for normalcy away? Did they rip apart a family, just because she was a sorceress?”

“It really puts the whole thing into perspective,” Lamis said. “What Ultimecia did was wrong, and she had to be stopped. But you kind of have to feel a little sorry for her.”

“And for Cyder.” Yasu snorted in disbelief at his own words. “I don’t want to pity him, but I do a bit. I can’t help it. He’s just grieving.”

“He’s lashing out,” Alin corrected. “Like you said, he deserves a bit of sympathy, but he’s gone way too far. Like his mother…” He hesitated, unwilling to say what was on his mind but knowing it had to be said. “Like his mother, he needs to be stopped, too.”

Bianca leaned her head against Alin’s shoulder, her brow furrowed in thought. He nudged her, glancing questioningly at her. She sighed and said, “There’s something I still don’t get, though.”

“What?” Alin asked.

“Why did he attack _us_?” she said, gesturing at the nine of them. “We weren’t even alive during the Ultimecia Conflict. Is it like guilt by association or something?”

“It could be,” he said, tilting his head in thought. “I get the feeling there’s more to it, though.”

Desmen suddenly lifted his head, his eyes widening in surprise. “That’s what he meant when he said we were the same.”

“Eh?” Taw said. “When did he say that?”

“Caraway told me about it. He said that Cyder had told him he and I were the same, and I deserved to know the kind of suffering he’d endured.” Now it made sense, looking back on it. Desmen glanced down at his hands clenched tightly together. “He wanted me to know something of the pain he suffered.”

“So he hooked you up to a machine and sucked the life out of you?” Momo shook her head, completely baffled. “That’s just – it’s sick and it’s wrong. It doesn’t even make sense.”

“He’s angry,” Yasu pointed out as he sat back against the pillows propped up behind him. “He’s grieving and angry. It’s likely he sees Desmen and resents him for his happiness, for having a whole family. It’s why he went after him and all of us as a result.”

“He only said he wanted to honor Ultimecia’s memory by succeeding where she couldn’t,” Taw argued. “He wants to try to recast Time Compression. It’s the only way he can get home, too.”

Momo blinked in surprise. “What? He can’t get back with the device he’s been using?”

“It’s a one way street,” Yasu said with a half-smirk. “Apparently, he wasn’t aware of that. He can only keep going backwards.”

Alin rubbed his temples, fighting the migraine that was forming. “So his original plan is all he has left. We can’t let him try again. He might succeed this time.”

Desmen shook his head. “I doubt he can. He isn’t a sorceress. He has a lot of magic power; I don’t know if he inherited it from Ultimecia or not, like how I got my magical resistance from Mom. Regardless, there’s no way he has the capacity to cast it successfully.” His hands clenched tightly. He seemed to be struggling with something internally. “I hope not, anyway. I don’t want to consider that he could do it.”

“So why come after all of us?” Michi asked, tilting her head to the side as she thought it over. “He’s attacked us several times. But wouldn’t he go after our parents instead?”

Bianca slapped her palm against her forehead as she realized something. “He’s attacking us to get back at our parents. They took away his family – or so he sees it – so he’s gonna take away theirs.”

Desmen nodded, agreeing with Bianca. “You’re right. He might see me as a sort of equal or something, but his ultimate goal is to wipe our parents out and compress time. Besides, if he wipes out our younger parents, he kills us with them.”

Taw blew out a breath in frustration. “Look, this is good and all to figure out, but it won’t get us anywhere. Right now, our parents and all the adults are trying to figure out another strategy. If you ask me, it won’t do any good.”

To everyone’s surprise, instead of scolding Taw for his cynicism, Yasu nodded. “I have to agree. Something else needs to be done. We can’t let our parents get dragged into any more than they already have.”

His words were followed by a tense silence. All of them were thinking the same thing, but no one seemed willing to say it. After long minutes, Desmen closed his eyes and, finding the strength despite his fears, said, “We have to fight him. Alone.”

“Just us,” Momo said, her eyes staring blankly at the wall. She almost looked like she was in shock, and there was uneasiness in her voice as she added, “I kind of thought – maybe we’d all fight him or we could find another way, but Desy’s right. We’re gonna have to fight him on our own. Directly.”

Michi reached her arms out and brought her sister close to her, hugging her to her knees. “We’ll be okay. We’re strong as a team.”

“Let’s just hope he’s not stronger,” Yasu murmured.

“Hey.” Bianca gave him a sound whack on the arm. “None of that. Only positive attitudes are allowed here. Besides, he’s one guy who’ll be fighting the nine of us. If six people could take down his mother, then nine should be plenty to defeat him.”

“We aren’t as strong as our parents were,” Yasu argued, ignoring Bianca’s irritated glare.

“That’s why it’s good there will be more of us then,” Kevan said before Bianca snapped. “No one said it would be easy, but we can do it.”

Sensing an argument in the works, since Yasu always had to be logical-minded, Alin waved his hand, catching everyone’s attention. “Enough. Listen to yourselves – you’re arguing over something that is going to be done anyway. There’s no point to it. We just go and find him and get the job done.”

“The emotional strain is getting to be too much,” Michi said, still hugging Momo. “Alin’s right; if we start arguing and fraying at the seams, we won’t stand a chance. The last two weeks, we’ve all lashed out in ways we normally wouldn’t.”

“Like in Dollet,” Lamis said. “Most of us freaked out in some way or another, by getting into fights or doing something stupid.”

Kevan nodded resolutely. “Then we end it. We find him and fight him alone. This has to stop.”

“But there’s the issue of our parents,” Momo pointed out. “They will _not_ let us do this. We’ve argued with them about it enough times.”

“Then they don’t find out,” Taw said. “We sneak out before dawn and look for him.”

“But where do we look?” Bianca asked. “He could be anywhere.”

“Trabia,” Yasu said. When the others gave him understandably puzzled looks, he explained, “I thought about it earlier. Remember when this all started those SeeDs were killed when they ran into him in Trabia? That’s when they picked up a disturbance there. It may have been when he arrived in this time.”

“Then a week later, he tried casting Time Compression,” Alin said.

“And in order to do that, since he’s not a sorceress…” Yasu let his words trail off so the others could piece it together.

Momo clapped her hands together. “Right! He needed to use the time device to cast it!”

“And if he wants to reattempt to cast Time Compression, he’ll need to use that machine,” Taw added. “Since we took the one near Galbadia, the other one is all he’s got left.”

“That might also explain the real reason why he shot down the Ragnarok,” Bianca said, her brow furrowing at the memory. “We were getting too close.”

“So Trabia it is,” Kevan said, “and we’re all agreed to leaving at dawn?”

The others nodded slowly. Even though it was now inevitable, there was still a lot of uncertainty. Desmen in particular was quiet, even though he had been the one to suggest the battle.

“We know we have to do this,” Lamis said, her eyes saddening, “and Cyder has hurt us all so much. So why am I so sad?”

~*~

The battle was bothering all of them. It was difficult to hide their uneasiness, especially around their parents. It was even harder during dinner, when they were discussing their next plan of attack. The kids just nodded along, agreeing when appropriate and arguing where they knew they’d normally argue. They only did so to keep up appearances, for none of the plans the adults were making mattered. The outcome of the war Cyder had started would be determined in the morning.

As the sun set and the stars came out, Taw found himself growing increasingly worried. Normally he loved charging into situations like this. He was glad they would be getting this over with. Yet, a part of him was scared to the bone, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it.

He was doing a poor job masking his doubts, or so he thought. Left alone in Yasu’s recovery room, it didn’t take long for his older brother to detect something was wrong. “What is bothering you, Taw?”

Taw’s jaw ticked, displeased at his brother’s perceptiveness. Sometimes he wished Yasu would shut up and let things be. “Nothing,” he lied. “Just thinking about tomorrow. Going over my training in my head, making sure I’ve thought of everything that could help. I don’t want to be unprepared.”

Yasu nodded, glancing down at his hands folded in his lap. “And?”

“And what?”

“And what else?” he pressed, still not looking at Taw. “I’m not stupid. I know something else is bothering you.”

Taw frowned. “Isn’t there some philosopher guy that said to keep your nose out of other people’s business?”

“No,” Yasu said calmly, glossing over Taw’s sarcasm, “but I do know of one who said that little brothers shouldn’t lie to their elders.”

“What?” Taw said in disbelief. “That’s bullshit. Besides, you lie to me all the time about this stuff.”

Taw tensed, waiting for his brother’s harsh retort. Instead, Yasu merely looked down at the blanket spread out over him, and sighed. “I don’t hide things from you because I don’t trust you. I do it not to burden you, and to protect you.”

“From _what_?” Taw said, earning a sidelong glance from his brother. “I’m not a little kid, Yasu,” he added more softly. “Michi trusts Momo, even when she’s worried about her being in danger and all. Why can’t you trust me?”

For once, Yasu seemed at a loss for words. After a minute or two, he managed, “Momo has always protected Michi. In some ways, at least. You remember all those stupid boyfriends Michi had before she began dating Kevan.”

Taw snorted. “Oh yeah, I do. Momo hated those guys.”

“So Michi is used to her little sibling taking on that kind of role. I’m not.”

Taw frowned as he considered Yasu’s words. “I guess not.”

However, to Taw’s surprise, Yasu chuckled wryly and said, “But perhaps I need to start backing off more. You did a better job handling Cyder than I did, and you are training to be a SeeD. I’m sorry if I offended you in the past, Taw. It’s a big brother thing.”

“I know.” Taw smiled sincerely. “Dylan tried telling me that after the fight with Nyvae, but I didn’t wanna listen. Now I get it.”

Glad an understanding was reached between them, for once, Yasu smiled before adding, “You didn’t answer my question, though. What else was on your mind?”

Taw grumbled, annoyed at his brother’s persistence, but after a moment of him being sullen and Yasu staring at him expectantly, he caved in and said, “Honestly, I’m petrified right now.”

Yasu sighed, but his expression was sympathetic. “About the battle?”

“Yeah,” Taw said. “It’s just that… what’s gonna happen this time?” He clutched his hands together, trying to suppress as much of his worry as he could. “Every time we’ve encountered this guy, someone’s gotten hurt. And you… you almost got killed.”

“Taw…” Yasu sat up and swung his feet over the side of his bed so he could face his brother. Taw opened his mouth to protest, but Yasu cut him off. “I’ll be fine. Bianca is looking for someplace to get some Curaga spells so I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

“But what if-”

“There are a lot of ‘what ifs’ about tomorrow,” Yasu said. “I can’t promise anything, but at least tomorrow all nine of us will be battling this guy. _We’ll_ be fighting him together this time,” he added, pointing to Taw and them himself.

“I know, and I’m glad for it, but…” Taw was struggling with something else, and it took him another moment before he could find the words. They were the words all of them had been mulling over since they decided to confront Cyder. “Is this right? Is any of this right? I know I’ve been training to become a SeeD, and I’ve been honing my abilities so I can fight anything and anyone. But this guy, this really angry guy… is he – does he deserve to go down like this? By us?”

Even Yasu had to think over that issue for a few minutes, his brow furrowed as he did so. After an uneasy pause, he said, “Taw, I plan on going into that fight tomorrow as myself, not as a SeeD. I don’t know what Cyder is coming into that battle as, but we can learn more tomorrow.”

“I guess I shouldn’t be doubting all this now, huh?”

“No,” Yasu said, shaking his head. “I’m glad you are. I’m glad we all are. I’d be more worried if we weren’t unsure of ourselves a bit.”

“Unsure of what?” another voice asked.

Yasu and Taw both spun around to find their parents standing in the threshold. “Unsure about what?” Fujin repeated, looking at her sons.

“Ah, nothing in particular,” Taw said, trying to cover up the truth. “Just about – you know, Cyder and stuff.”

“We’re a little uneasy, with not knowing what’s going to happen,” Yasu added.

Raijin nodded, buying their lie. “Ah, it’ll be okay guys. We’re gonna figure something out, ya know?”

“Right.” Taw got up and glanced over at Yasu. “I guess we better get some sleep.”

“Yes. Get some rest,” Yasu said to Taw, smiling easily. “We’re going to need it.”

“Definitely,” Taw said under his breath. He hurried out of the room, shouting “Good night!” over his shoulder before clearing out, leaving his parents no time to talk or question him.

As Raijin looked in confusion where Taw had run off, Fujin said to Yasu “You’ll be okay?”

“Sure. I’m feeling better, so hopefully tomorrow I might be able to get up.”

“Okay.” Fujin took a step back and grabbed the door knob. “Sleep well. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

For a fleeting second, Yasu’s smile faltered, but he bravely put it back on and nodded. “Of course. Have a good night.”

After his mother shut the door, Yasu sighed and murmured, “Sorry, Mom.”

~*~

Fujin tossed and turned all night. Something in her sons’ behavior –in all the kids’ behavior honestly – was bothering her.  Taw had run off, Yasu seemed to be lying, and the kids hadn’t been themselves during dinner and the discussions that followed. She was convinced something had happened in the Deep Sea Research Center, something the kids weren’t willing to come forward about.

It was nearly 5 AM when she decided to get up; she wasn’t going to be sleeping anytime soon. With a groan she sat up in bed, rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes.

“Fuj?” Raijin said from the bed next to hers. “What’re ya doing up?”

“I can’t sleep,” she said quietly. “I need to see Yasu and Taw. Something’s been bothering me.”

“Can’t it wait?” he hissed as she got to her feet. “It’s 5 AM, ya know?”

“No it can’t,” she said sharply as she strode out of the room.

“Fujin!” Raijin shouted after her, rolling out of bed and nearly stumbling as he took off after her.

Paying no mind to Raijin’s protests, Fujin strode through the halls of the Palace. She only barely registered how eerily quiet and empty they were. She made her way to the private infirmary where her son was currently staying, with Raijin tearing after her.

When she reached her son’s room, she pushed open the door without knocking. What she saw inside made her heart stop.

Yasu was gone, with only a note on his bed to take his place. She ran over to it and ripped it open. Her heart racing from worry, she hurriedly read over the note.

Raijin skidded to a halt outside and rushed in. His eyes widened in confusion when he saw only Fujin standing there. “Where’s Yasu?” he asked.

Slowly Fujin let her arms lower, still clutching the note. “He’s gone,” she said, her voice shaky with anxiety as she looked over at Raijin. “They’re all gone. The kids are _gone,_ Raijin.”

Fujin could all but hear Raijin’s heart skip a beat or two. “What?” he said in shock. “Gone? Where?”

“To fight Cyder. They’re going to fight him without us.”

~*~

_To Our Parents (and the Clan and Laguna and everyone else),_

_We know you’re going to be furious at us for doing this, but there’s no other way. We’re going to go find and fight Cyder on our own. His target might be you guys, but he picked a fight with us as well and all we can do is confront him and see that he is stopped, or die trying. Should that happen, please forgive us and know that we love you guys a lot. Thank you for all you’ve done for us. Live out the lives you’re meant to have and bring us into the world. Even if this fight is to be our last, it’s better than not ever existing to begin with. We hope you understand, even if you don’t want to agree._

_Hopefully, we’ll see you soon and you can yell at us for this later. If not, then this is good-bye._

_Love,_

_Lamis, Desmen, Yasu, Taw, Michi, Momo, Kevan, Bianca, and Alin_


	28. The final battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think the title is pretty self-explanatory.

There was barely any light in the sky when the Ragnarok flew over the snowfields of Trabia. On the bridge, the only sounds to be heard were the wind blowing outside and the heavy, slightly accelerated breathing of those onboard. The silence was tense; none of the usual remarks or exclamations in anticipation of the battle were made.

It was hard to be excited when the battle could be their last.

Alin reached over from the co-pilot’s seat and gave Bianca’s shoulder a squeeze. “Should we land soon?”

“I was thinking about that,” she said, still staring straight ahead. “I just don’t know where.”

“If Cyder’s here,” Desmen began, leaning against the wall opposite the radio terminal, “he’ll see us.”

“He’ll come to us,” Yasu added, elaborating Desmen’s train of thought. “I guess that’s the only way we’ll find him.”

Bianca’s fingers marginally tightened on the steering stick. No one but Alin noticed, but he said nothing; just another squeeze of the shoulder.

“We’ll land up there,” she said, nodding to a stretch of plains just up ahead. “Then we’ll start walking and wait for him to appear. I’d rather not fight too close to the ship.”

There was no dry comment from Taw referring to the last incident with the Ragnarok. No expression of relief from Momo for Bianca’s consideration. There wasn’t even a sound or nod of acknowledgment.

There was nothing, and the tension thickened.

Bianca guided the Ragnarok over the trees, slowly descending as the forest gave way to snow plain. The ship slowed, and then hovered as it began to land.

“I’ll get the coats,” Michi said, getting to her feet. As she strode towards the lift, she gave her sister and fiancé a sweet smile before stepping onto it and going down to the middle level.

 When she left, Momo turned to Kevan, her usual sunny smile replaced with a serious frown. “You’ve got her back, too, right?”

He ruffled her hair affectionately. “Always. I’ve got yours, too.”

“We all need to have each other’s backs,” Lamis commented, pushing back her curly hair.

“Er…” Momo hunched her shoulders sheepishly, her tone guilty as she added, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just-”

Lamis smiled. “I know. Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that. I guess I’m just as nervous as everyone else, and I want to know that I’m not alone.”

“But you’re never alone.” Kevan shook his head, his smile almost amused. “We’re in this together.”

“Right.” Lamis gave Taw’s shoulder a squeeze when he gave her a concerned look. “Chill, little Neel. I remember what my mom told me. It’s just nerves talking.”

Bianca swung around in her seat, her hands gripping her knees as she sat forward. “We’re all on edge. Once we get back, we’re still in for a load of trouble.”

Taw and Momo groaned as Yasu chuckled. “Yes,” the latter said, “we’re going to get an earful if we get back.”

Bianca and Alin sent him a pair of glares. “Hey,” Bianca said, “what did I say about staying positive?”

Just then, Michi came up the lift and, having overheard the conversation on her way up said, “I believe you said we all need to be positive. Sometimes you need to be realistic, and other times optimistic. Now is one of those times.”

“Yeah!” Momo pumped her fist into the air. “We’re gonna beat this dude and go home!”

The cheers were cut short when Desmen suddenly stood up and walked to the lift. Before anyone could even protest, he descended, leaving the others in stunned silence.

It was broken when Taw managed, “What the…?”

“After him” was all Alin said before gesturing to the lift.

~*~

Desmen had made considerable progress in his strides. By the time the others had caught up to him outside, they were almost out of sight of the Ragnarok. “Desmen!” Lamis shouted as they ran after him in the snow.

When he didn’t turn around or stop, Bianca stopped in her tracks, crossed her arms, donned the lethal Tilmitt glare and shouted, “Desmen Julian Rain! Stop your scrawny butt before I shoot it!”

Because Desmen knew that she wasn’t entirely kidding, he finally did stop.

Momo hurried over to him, his coat in her arms. “Desy,” she said when she reached him, almost panting. “What was that about?” she asked, handing him his coat. Her brow crinkled when she saw his fist clenched at his side.

“How are you all so positive about this?” he said, his voice low. “Isn’t anyone at all feeling guilty about this?”

“Guilty?” Momo repeated.

Lamis stepped over to them. She took Desmen’s arm and turned him around so he was facing her. “Cyder brought this on himself.” She paused, staring at him thoughtfully. “Now I get it,” she murmured. “You relate to him, so it’s harder for you to face this.”

Kevan frowned in concern, and Michi did the same. “Is that what this is about?” she said, resting her hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe he’s right. The two of us aren’t that different,” Desmen said, staring at the cold snow around his feet. “If the same thing happened to Mom, and Dad wasn’t around, would I act like he did?”

“There’s no way!” Momo said, leaning down to look into his eyes. “You are not like Cyder.”

Suddenly, the very air seemed to stand still as a new set of footsteps crunched over the snow. “And what,” a voice said, punctuating the tension with coldness to match the weather, “exactly am I like?”

All nine of them turned towards the north, where Cyder was walking towards them, scythe in hand. His face was masked by his hood, as always, but there was no hiding the anger in his voice. “I mean it. What am I to you?”

Michi took a step forward, her hands clutched in front of her. “A grieving son,” she answered. “Cyder, we understand what you’re going through.”

“Spare me the crap,” he snapped, his knuckles tightening until they turned white. “You don’t know about my suffering.”

“I do,” Kevan said, putting himself in front of Michi. “I lost my mother, too. I’ve been angry and guilty about it for years, but I’ve learned that I have to move past that. So do you. She might be dead but _you’re_ still alive.”

“A child,” Lamis began, her voice calm if not a little sad, “is a legacy. Your mother might have been heart-broken, and she lost her war, but she left something behind. Something more than a bad memory and pain. You can rise above it and live out the life she couldn’t.”

After a long moment of silence, Cyder laughed sharply. “Are you naïve or stupid? I’m not just anyone’s child. I am a child of a sorceress. You,” He pointed at Desmen, “of all people should know about that. Ridicule, suspicion, fear – they’re things we have to face our whole lives. What is left for us to live up to, to ‘rise above’?”

“Hey!” Momo stomped her foot angrily in the snow. “Don’t bring him to your level. You can’t expect his sympathy after you used him to try and start a war. You don’t deserve it!”

“It’s what will end up happening to him,” Cyder said. “Eventually those White SeeDs will try to harm him – harm his mother – and I’ll laugh if you say he won’t do anything about it.” He looked at Desmen again. “Your people took my mother away. I am not going to stand back and let it go unanswered.”

“ _My_ people?” Desmen narrowed his eyes at Cyder. “SeeD is _not_ my people. I’m not a SeeD, nor will I ever be.”

“But here you are, mingling with them. Doesn’t it disgust you, associating with murderers?” Cyder gestured violently at Desmen’s friends, seven out of eight whom were SeeDs. “Knowing their descendants will hunt down our mothers’ kind and anyone linked to them?”

“We haven’t hurt anyone!” Taw snapped before Desmen could make his own retaliation. “That’s like blaming the son for the father’s sins… except backwards or some shit. Don’t blame us for what people are gonna do way after we’re dead.”

Cyder shook his head, amazed at their thick-headedness. “You really don’t understand. Even if you never harm another soul, that won’t stop those who follow you from doing the same. By continuing SeeD, you will lead to that future which deserves to be destroyed!”

“We don’t want it to end like this!” Michi pleaded, even though she could see he wasn’t going to listen. “Surely your mom wouldn’t want you to go out like this? You don’t have to share the same fate!”

Driven by anger and sorrow, Cyder screamed as he summoned up all his magic. “I will not abandon her again!” Levitating off the ground, his body began to glow as his magic began to fuse with it. “It’s time to end this! I’ll avenge her, and I’ll begin with you lot! Then your parents will know my pain!”

“Cyder!” Desmen shouted.

Alin shook his head, holding out his arm so Desmen wouldn’t run to him. “He believes he’s at the point of no return. We have to respect that, even if we think he’s wrong. The fight’s inevitable.”

“Everyone,” Kevan said, reaching for his sword. “Weapons out. Let’s go.”

~*~

Meanwhile, there was panic spreading in the Esthar Presidential Palace.

“Where the hell could they have gone?” Radovan shouted as he paced around the board room. “Damn it, I knew some kind of stunt was gonna be pulled, but nothing this batshit stupid!”

“Calm down!” Kiros said. “We’re doing everything we can to locate them.”

Radovan’s friend, Ajax shot him a disapproving look. Radovan threw his hands in the air. “Yeah I know you bastard. Shove it,” he said to his mute friend. “Just because the kids didn’t agree with their parents about fighting Cyder doesn’t give them the damn right to go off and duke it out alone!”

Said parents hurried into the room, followed by Laguna. “Has anyone found them yet?” Quistis said as everyone fanned out.

Ward shook his head, and Kiros added, “No, nothing. They even made sure to turn off the cameras at the garage, so we don’t even know when they left.”

“It had to have been before dawn,” Fujin said. “I was up at 5 and they were gone.”

“There’s no telling how far they’ve gotten,” Squall said, rubbing a hand over his tired face. “The Ragnarok can get you to the other side of the world in a matter of hours. We don’t even know which direction they went in.”

Rinoa wrapped her arms around herself, her head bowed. “Where could they have gone? Where did they even know to look?”

“That’s what gets me,” Irvine said, gesturing with his hand. “I can’t see them going off on some wild goose chase. They had to know where to look.”

His anger and worry still rolling off in waves, Radovan pointed to Irvine and said, “Exactly! We gotta think like them! Where would they have gone?”

Seifer rolled his eyes. “You don’t think that’s what we’ve been doing? There’s no place else to look. The Research Center is trashed, and he’s wanted in every country.”

Zell stamped his foot in anger – anger likely stemming from his worry. “How can you be so calm? Our kids are out there, fighting this psycho! They could die!”

“We’re all worried, Zell,” Rinoa said, butting in before those two could start another fight.

“If you would quit fighting over this crap,” Radovan snapped, “and focus on looking for the kids, then we wouldn’t have to worry!”

“We’re _trying_!” Selphie said, waving her arms. “We can’t think of anything!”

Tired of listening to the arguing, Dylan got to his feet. “Would _all_ of you take a chill pill?” he said, loud enough for the whole room to hear. “That includes you, Dad,” he said to Radovan.

“Seriously,” his little brother murmured.

“Your cousins are out there and are in danger,” Radovan said, his fist clenched as his other hand pointed to the window. “And you can stand there and say-”

“One of those cousins is a SeeD,” Dylan said, cutting him off. “The other one made it through the tundra while chasing after a man half out of his mind and survived. She also broke into a city under military control and managed to one-shot an entire room full of soldiers.” He laughed at the memory. “I think they’re fine.”

When everyone looked at him in stunned silence, he sighed and said, “I think everyone got caught up in the idea of protecting the ‘kids’. They’re just kids to you, but you guys all forgot that six of those kids are SeeDs, while one of them is training to become one. The other two can fight just as well as any SeeD.” Dylan pushed his hair back, slightly agitated. “Look, I’m a little worried, too. We don’t know Cyder’s full powers.” He looked over at Squall and the others. “But you guys fought Ultimecia when you were their age, even a little younger in some cases. Cyder can’t be anywhere near as bad as she was, and there are nine of them.”

He scratched the back of his head. “I guess what I’m saying is, have some faith. They’re tough. I still think we should find them, but we can’t if we’re this worried. If we just trust them and calm down, then maybe we can think of something.”

Laguna smiled, and for dramatic effect, began to clap. “Well said, Dylan. I gotta agree. As worried as I am, we need to believe they can do this. They probably see this as their battle. Let’s let them fight it out and then find them.” Taking the silence that followed as assent, he nodded. “Right. So, once we all take a deep breath, let’s brainstorm ideas and see where they might have gone.”

~*~

 _Like mother, like son,_ Desmen thought as he looked upon Cyder’s new form. His magic had transformed him into something far from human. Nearly five times his normal size, Cyder had a pair of wings sprouting from his back, bare and made of bone. His body looked humanoid, though he was pure white with spindly limbs covered in a black plated armor. His nails extending from his fingers and toes were long and sharp. In the center of his chest was a concave void which seemed to go on in endless black. It was the same for his eyes, whose light was robbed and replaced with a never-ending abyss of black.

Cyder let out an ear piercing roar before he charged at the group. Everyone jumped out of the way, tumbling over snow and ice. Cyder swung out one of his arms and caught Lamis’ side. She grabbed onto his arm as it swung back towards him, and she took out one of her jutte and rammed it into his shoulder.

Bianca immediately began opening fire on Cyder to cover for Lamis as Alin swung out his sickle chain. The blade lashed out and caught Cyder’s side, sending him stumbling forward. Taw threw one of his daggers, sending it into Cyder’s leg. Yasu ran forward to get in a hit while their opponent was staggered, but Cyder recovered before he could. Yasu was forced to roll away when Cyder tried to hit him with a blast of magic. Lamis jumped off, landing right besides Kevan.

Meanwhile, Michi, Momo, and Desmen cast Triple on themselves. “Shell first,” Desmen said before he ran towards the others in the fray. Momo gestured to Lamis and Kevan, and Michi nodded. As she ran over towards them, Momo took out her chakrams and threw them one at a time at Cyder’s legs. She meant to stun him while Michi and Desmen began casting support spells.

“Kevan!” she called out to him. He immediately ran over and swung his sword, deflecting Cyder’s swipe. Momo’s chakrams were slowing him down, but did little else to deter him. To help, Bianca ran and then slid under Cyder’s legs, shooting as she ran and then shooting at his feet when she slid. Her shots finally brought him down. He went down on one knee, and just as he did Taw leapt to plant a dagger (or two) into his back.

Overwhelmed, Cyder shouted in pain as he fanned out his wings. A shockwave shot out, knocking everyone back. Taw yelled as he flew back, and Yasu dived to catch him before they both hit the ground tumbling.

“Ow,” Taw muttered. “That was cheap.”

Cyder cast a Curaga spell on him, healing his wounds before he hovered into the air.

Momo frowned. “That was cheap, too.”

Michi immediately cast Shell on herself, Alin and Bianca. “Get ready!”

Desmen and Momo copied her, casting Shell on everyone else and preparing themselves for the magical onslaught.

With a wave of his arm, Cyder unleashed a Meteor spell. The area around them darkened as the spell took effect, letting loose a hail of meteors on everyone. Desmen did his best to cover those near him as the rocks rained down and battered the fighters on the ground. The Shell spells helped, but by the time the spell was over, everyone was feeling the pain.

Michi got to her feet and began casting Curaga spells as Bianca opened fire. Some of the bullets ricocheted off the plated armor, while a few managed to hit the bone. Cyder yelled in protest. Trying to swing the battle back in his favor, he cast Triple on himself as well before unleashing a flurry of Blizzaga spells. Bianca held up her arms as the spells hit, one after another.

Desmen sprinted towards her, and when he reached her skidded into the path of the spells, barring the last one from reaching Bianca. Cyder immediately ceased his casting, and as soon as he did Desmen cast a series of Meltdowns. They all slammed into Cyder, forcing him to stumble back.

“That should help,” Desmen said.

As Michi moved over to heal Bianca, Momo threw one of her chakrams. It hit Cyder’s chin and snapped his head back. Alin took the chance and swung his sickle chain, catching one of Cyder’s wings with his blade. He pulled as hard as he could, with Yasu helping him as soon as the martial artist realized what Alin was doing.

A tug of war began between the boys and Cyder, as the latter struggled to stay airborne. Bianca began shooting, and Desmen ran and leapt into the air. He drove his spear into Cyder’s side, and used his momentum and weight to help bring him crashing down to the ground.

On the ground, Cyder swung out both of his arms, throwing his attackers back as he got back up. He lifted up his arm to cast another spell, but Kevan came charging forward and let loose a barrage of swings and strikes against him, knocking Cyder back and cutting off his spell casting. Yasu ran up to him and, adding to Kevan’s strikes, pummeled Cyder with punishing kicks and punches.

Cyder’s claws sharpened and he lashed out with them, slicing the two men and knocking them back into the snow drifts.

“Yasu, Kevan!” Bianca called out in worry when she saw blood spray.

“Cover me, Bianca!” Lamis shouted before she went running towards them.

Nodding, Bianca opened fire as Lamis dodged Cyder’s energy blasts. Momo threw a chakram when Cyder went to hit Lamis, tearing a wound across his hand and making him pull it back.

Taking a slightly more effective step to help out, Michi held out her staff in front of her as she called out a Flare spell. The flash of the spell lit up right in front of Cyder’s face before it exploded, toppling him and making him screech in pain.

The barrage of attacks gave Lamis enough time to get to Yasu and Kevan and cast two quick Curas on them. “On your feet,” she told them as she turned to keep an eye on Cyder. “He won’t stay down long.”

They climbed to their feet, wincing from the remaining pain as Cyder did the same. Lamis pulled both of them back and away from Cyder. Everyone formed a loose line as Cyder took a moment to lick his wounds, so to speak, and for everyone to catch their breaths.

“Sorceresses,” Cyder said, “were given a part of Hyne, the best part of him that he kept from the masses. A gift and a burden all at once. Ever since then, these women have been featured in history, feared and condemned for their powers.” Cyder shook his massive, deformed head as his empty eyes stared at his opponents. “They were hunted for something beyond their control. That is a history that should be erased. That is all my mother wanted.” A long, clawed hand reached out to Desmen. “Your mother would not have to suffer what she has if time should be compressed. Neither would you.”

It was then that Desmen finally realized that, despite their similarities in situation and attitude, there was one major difference between them: where Cyder chose to run away, Desmen chose to fight. “I pity you,” Desmen said, his voice soft. “That’s no solution. Erasing everything will not make the memory and the pain go away. What has happened to sorceresses is horrible, and we’ve both suffered for it, but wiping it away and interfering with time to do it? That’s not right. That’s not even noble. It’s the coward’s way out.”

“And what would you do?” Cyder said, his tone angry and accusatory. “Do nothing? Accept it as it is?”

“No,” Desmen answered, his head held high. “I will fight it. I love my mother, like you loved yours. I want to do what I can to protect her. My father will continue to stay at her side and shield her, while I will try to fight against the prejudice and fear that has been built around sorceresses.” He realized just how massive of an undertaking this was going to be, but he was determined to see it through. “After hearing your story, and seeing how bad things will get, I realized that you’re right, something needs to be done. But I will not use your means. I will fight it in my own way. I won’t see it done away with in my life, but I hope it will be someday. If I change what will be, maybe then _you_ won’t have to suffer. That’s my hope.”

“That’s impossible! Nothing you do now will change what happens to us!” Cyder began to tremble and radiate light as he held up his hands. “My mother brought about her own demise in trying to prevent it! Your attempts might just do the same. I must finish what she started, for her sake!”

With a cry, he unleashed waves of magic energy, sending them crashing into his adversaries and the landscape around them. Fireballs and ice structures the size of swords battered the kids, while a shockwave upended the ground and sent them all toppling.

~*~

“Hey!” a Centra clansman said, beckoning to Radovan. He pointed to the laptop he had been watching. “There are disturbances being picked up in Trabia.”

“Magic?” Radovan asked.

The man nodded.

“It’s gotta be Cyder!” Selphie said.

Radovan nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. “He’s making a huge mess. Let’s get the fleet in gear and get our asses to Trabia.”

As everyone rushed to their posts, Rinoa squeezed Squall’s hand. He felt her hand tremble in his. “Do you think the kids are okay?” she said.

“It’s like Dylan said: we have to trust them.” He pulled her into a one-armed hug, trying not to show his own fear.

~*~

When the attack was over, the kids were left strewn about, lying in pain in the snow. “Damn it,” Momo muttered as she tried to get up. “Another… cheap shot.” She winced as a pang of pain shot through her side.

In her peripheral, she said Cyder slowly walk towards them. She saw Kevan to her left, and she reached over to wake him up. “Kevan. He’s coming. Get up.”

Her brother-in-law-to-be groaned as he opened his eyes and struggled to stand. “If you can run, then run,” Kevan said to her.

Cyder was getting closer, but Momo paid no heed at the moment as she shook her head. “No! I’ve got your back too, remember?”

“I said go,” he said through clenched teeth.

“It won’t matter,” Cyder said to them, lifting up his arm. “This will be the obliteration of you all.”

Momo’s eyes widened when he extended his arm as high as it would go, claws pointed downwards. He then swung down hard, and she closed her eyes and braced for the impact.

Suddenly a figure ran in between Momo and Kevan. Just as Cyder’s hand came down, Michi held up her staff and blocked the blow, gritting her teeth as she pushed against Cyder’s enormous hand.

“Michi!” Momo said as Kevan made a sound in surprise. “Get away from him!”

“Not this time,” she said as she pushed back Cyder’s hand. As he stumbled, she hit him with the butt of her polearm and knocked him back a few steps. “You two always talk about protecting me. I love you both for it, but I’m not always the one who needs protecting. So just stay back.”

Cyder hissed. “As I said, what you do is of no consequence.”

“Yes it is,” Michi said, holding her staff above her head. Beams of golden light shot out from below and around her.

“A Limit Break?” Cyder snorted. “The power of a human is meager to that of a sorceress or a child of one.”

Michi sighed softly. “You’re mourning and in your grief, you think that this is how it has to be. I wish I could convince you otherwise, but I know you won’t listen.” She held her head up as her staff began to float upwards. “You might have given up on your future, but I want to live out mine. Limit Breaks aren’t just about power. They reflect resolve, too.”

“You think yourself more strong-willed?”

Her staff began spinning in the air above Cyder. “No, but I have more to lose, so I can’t let you win.” Her polearm was spinning rapidly, and dark clouds began to appear. She clapped her hands together and shouted, “Forgive me, Cyder, but you don’t give me a choice. Quatra-ment!”

Cyder’s eyes widened as a tornado funneled down from the clouds, engulfing him in its windy rage. He was lifted up off the ground, but he couldn’t fly out of the way as the tornado knocked him around before dropping him to the ground. As it disappeared back into the clouds, the polearm shot up into the sky. Within seconds, thunder could be heard before lightning came crashing down. It struck Cyder repeatedly, burning him and sending him to his knees.

As the staff began to fall back down to the earth, the clouds turned a lighter shade of gray as snowflakes began to fall. Ice and snow rained down from the clouds and piled around Cyder. He tried to claw his way out and use Fire spells, but the ice built up too fast and froze him in place. The staff then hit the ground, finally finishing its descent. The force of the fall made a crack run from the point of impact to the frozen Cyder. The ice coating him began to break off and then melt as flames shot up from the crack in the ground. With a final clap from Michi, the flames roared to life and engulfed Cyder.

He managed to break free from the fireball, burned and injured, and his weakened wings flew him to an adjacent rock. Cyder slumped over the rock, panting as his armor and wings began to break and shatter. Before long, he reverted back to his normal human form.

Nearby, Desmen had gotten to his feet. Wobbly but not out for the count, he watched Cyder closely.

The young mage lifted his head up. He tried to stand up, but weakened and dying, he slipped and lost his footing. “Mother” was all he managed before he fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michi was due for a CMOA. Beneath all that gentleness and kindness is a pretty bad-ass fighter. Just wish I had allowed more chance for that to be seen in the story.
> 
> Anywho, just a couple chapters and a two-part epilogue left! Stay tuned.


	29. Levan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyder's final moments.

Despite his convictions and his expressed faith in them, deep down, Cyder had known that he would not see his time again. This had been a suicide mission from the start, driven by grief, anger and helplessness. Yet it had seemed better than living out his grief alone.

  
Now, as he fell off his perch and descended to the merciless Trabian tundra, he wasn’t so sure.

~*~

He wasn’t surprised when parts of his life flashed before his eyes. Bits from his childhood floated up from the depths of his memory. It had been isolated, and he knew little of having human friends, but he had been happy, nonetheless. He remembered summer days spent in pursuit of little animals and imaginary creatures while his mother watched him from afar. One particular lesson in using magic came back, too, and he recalled how pleased he was when he managed to use a Fire spell and the way his mother smiled.

He loved that smile of hers, though it had been years since he last saw it.

An echo of his father’s laugh, his mother’s stories about sorceresses and their knights, his parents’ stolen kisses that he pretended he didn’t see – all of these things came back to him. He had forgotten how much he had missed them.

They disappeared the day the SeeDs came with their swords and guns. They charged her with things she hadn’t done yet, things she wouldn’t have dreamed of doing – not then. But history was proof and they were determined to end her for it.

His father was a skilled fighter; as a knight he had to be. He had told his family to run. At that time, Cyder was too young to help but not helpless enough to not want to. His mother had pulled him away and they were forced to flee. They ran far enough that the SeeDs weren’t able to find them.

The horrible, sharp memory of his father’s battered body, strewn in pieces, reappeared. So did the memory of his mother’s eyes when they took in the sight, and the way the light died in them.

He had lost everything that day. Some things had just taken longer to die. His happiness, his mother and her sanity, even his own name… after awhile, they all just disappeared. And he was left with nothing.

~*~

Cyder winced, and when he shifted, he was surprised to feel not cold ground, but a pair of arms. He opened his eyes and found a pair of deep blue ones staring back. The Leonhart boy must have run and caught him when he fell.

His hood had fallen back. Cyder could feel the cold seep into his scalp. He watched Leonhart’s reaction closely, taking in the minute changes in his expression. “Expecting horns?”

He shook his head, but Cyder just chuckled sardonically. It had been awhile since he had looked in a mirror, but he knew his pale hair had probably grown a little long and his green eyes probably still looked the same.

“Cyder…”

The mentioned man shook his head. “That’s not my given name,” he said. If he was going to die, he might as well die with his real name. He could already feel his breathing begin to slow as his body prepared to shut down. “I couldn’t tell you where I got it from.”

The other sorceress’ son looked surprised at the fact.

“What’s your real name?” a familiar voice asked. Cyder almost sighed as the youngest Dincht piped up with her question. Now that he was paying attention, he sensed the rest of Leonhart’s merry little band gathered around him.

“Why do you care?”

Leonhart’s eyes narrowed slightly in retribution for his sarcasm. “Did your father give you your real name?” he asked.

“Yes. It was Levan,” he answered. His heart jerked in his chest; it had been forever since he last heard his name spoken. “Levy for short. Mom was fond of that nickname.”

It was his turn to be surprised when another voice – he thought it was that Almasy kid’s – said, “What was Ultimecia’s name?”

Levan grit his teeth, though it wasn’t at the question, but the name used. “I hated that name she gave herself. It was disgusting.” He shook his head at the thought to dispel it. “Her birth name was Lydia.” His heart gave another tug. So many names hadn’t been said in so long. “That’s who she was until the SeeDs came and tore my father apart and continued to persecute her for crimes she hadn’t yet committed. Lydia died, and Ultimecia came.”

He heard a choked sob, and his brow furrowed. “I don’t want sympathy.”

“What you’ve gone through deserves sympathy,” the other Dincht girl – the one that kicked his ass – said quietly.

Levan closed his eyes. He was too tired to argue, and there was no point. Not here, at the end. There was no point in fighting anything. He let out a tired sigh as he felt his strength begin to drain and the magic he had for so long disappear. “I wanted to compress time, not just because Mom wanted it, but because maybe she would come back. Dad would come back.” He looked up at Desmen, his eyelids heavy. “I didn’t want to erase anything. I just wanted to undo everything.”

The Kinneas girl sighed in frustration and sadness. “But why did you have to hurt so many people? Why didn’t you just try again instead of coming after all of us?”

“Maybe it was the anger. I don’t know.” Levan’s fingers twitched in the snow. His eyes widened when he felt someone take his hand in theirs. He looked over and saw the younger Dincht take his hand. “You’re aware of what I’ve done. You said so yourself. So why-”

She shrugged. “Maybe it was the anger. I don’t know,” she said, repeating his words. She gave his hand a squeeze. “I’m not happy about what you did, but if the others are okay with it, I’m willing to forgive you. I know a lonely person when I see one. I also know a grieving, angry one, too. I just wish you went to us for help instead of a fight. Maybe we could have done something.”

These kids baffled Levan. In the throes of death, he finally could admit it. He couldn’t understand them, and he would take that confusion to his grave. “What a weird bunch you all are,” he said.

His vision was darkening again, and he knew there would be no waking up from it a second time. Swallowing his own tears, he looked up at Leonhart. “If you did what I did, would your mother forgive you?”

He nodded. “I think so. I think she would understand.” He bowed his head, his dark hair framing his face. “She’ll forgive you,” he said softly. Levan knew who he was referring to. “She knew that same anger and sorrow.”

Levan nodded. “Maybe … being optimistic isn’t so bad.” He smiled ruefully. “I guess I’ll find out.”

All around him, he sensed the others gathering closer. He could even see parts of their faces in his peripheral vision. They knew his death was drawing close. As he struggled to breathe, Levan thought of his final words. “Desmen,” he began, forcing in his last breaths, as his vision blackened until only those blue eyes were visible. “Whatever happens… take care of your mother.”

~*~

Desmen made a sound of anguish when Levan stopped breathing, and the life faded from his eyes.

“We won,” Alin murmured, holstering his sickle chain. “Yet there’s no victory in it.”

“There’s not much victory in any of this,” Yasu said, bowing his head. He closed his eyes in respect to the death in front of them. “We had to kill a young man who was distraught and heartbroken. But he couldn’t be saved from his own sorrow until the very end. That’s the worst part.”

Momo tugged on the arm of Desmen’s coat. “Can we bury him?” she whispered.

Holding back tears, he nodded. “Yeah. Let’s give him that, at least.”

With the snow so thick and the ground frozen, and lacking proper equipment, it was impossible to dig him a deep grave. Instead, they put him to rest in a shallow grave under a rock. It wasn’t much, but at least it would cover and protect his body.

Once they managed to move the rock back in place, they all took a moment to recollect and grieve. Not for Cyder, the mage who caused havoc and nearly killed them, but for Levan, the boy who lost his family and only wished to have them back.

As they stood in the cold and shivered and mourned, the low thrum of several large engines began to be discernible over the Trabian wind. Momo looked up, and she gasped when she saw in the distance the Centran fleet coming towards them.

The others looked up as well, and a few even managed to smile. “We’re in trouble,” Kevan murmured, though he didn’t sound worried at all.

“We have to tell them everything,” Taw said. “They’ll wanna know what happened.”

Desmen nodded, turning away from the gravesite. “Yeah. Let’s go. There’s one last thing we have to do.”


	30. Farewell, but not good-bye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Levan defeated, there's just one last thing to do...

As expected, they were yelled at.

Radovan in particular gave them quite an earful when they got on board and ushered into the main computer room. “What the _fuck_ were you thinking?” was his favorite phrase of the day as he stomped around, waving his arms and yelling at them.

The kids didn’t say much, content to just let Radovan and the adults have at it. There were also some sharp words from Quistis, and the look in everyone’s eyes said the rest. But no rebuttal was made on the kids’ part, not until Radovan said, “What the hell possessed you to go after that psychopath-”

Still upset from Cyder’s – or more correctly, Levan’s death, Momo cried out, “He wasn’t a psychopath!”

The whole room went quiet as she bit back a sob. Michi went over to comfort her, putting her arms around her shoulders while Yasu addressed the adults, “Ah, we have a lot to tell you. About Cyder, I mean.”

As Momo tried to calm herself, Yasu explained to the rest of the group everything that had been said and heard, from the Research Center to their talk in the infirmary up through the fight, and then finally, Levan’s last words.

He was answered with more silence, though it was more stunned than confused like before. Rinoa shook her head in disbelief, sitting herself in a nearby chair. “He was her son? That’s why he did all of this?”

“It’s amazing what grief does to us,” Quistis said softly. “How terrible, to lose your whole family to SeeD.”

Selphie shifted uneasily on her feet, glancing at her friends. “Does anyone else suddenly feel really guilty about what we did?”

“Her knight was taken away from her,” Squall murmured, his head bowed in thought. “I know it’s hard for everyone here to imagine, but I can picture what she went through. The thought of losing someone you’re bonded to is terrifying.”

“Indeed,” a voice said from the doorway. “It iz a tragedy.”

“Doc O?” Desmen said, obviously surprised as the famous scientist waddled his way into the room. “Why are you here?”

“I had faith zat you would win your fight. As painful as it might have been, it was necessary.” He turned towards the first generation. “Your fight was necessary, too. Cyder and Sorceress Ultimecia – or Levan and Sorceress Lydia, if you vant to remember them as zat – were controlled by their grief and anger. There was no reasoning with zem.”

“What’s done is done,” Laguna said, shrugging slightly. “I feel terrible for that kid, but he chose this. We gotta respect that and move on. No use beating ourselves up for what had to be done.”

“Zere is one last thing we must do,” Odine said.

Understanding what he meant, everyone turned their eyes on Squall and the others. “It’s time to fix something that he messed with,” Laguna said with a crinkle in his smile. “You guys need to get back to _when_ you belong.”

“Wow,” Raijin said, rubbing his neck. “We’re finally going back, ya know?”

“Do you know how to send us back?” Zell asked.

Odine nodded. “Yes. Ze Centra clanspeople and I have figured out this time device that Cyder was using. We can send you back, no problem.”

Something was bothering Quistis, and hesitantly she said, “However, we can’t return like this. We know things that we shouldn’t.”

“I had thought of zat, too,” Odine said in his usual confident manner. “Ze moment zat we were informed of your arrival, I began to think of a way to get rid of your memories. You are right; you cannot go back with zem intact. Luckily, Odine has thought of a way.”

Everyone watched expectantly as Odine motioned for one of his assistants who came with him. The assistant carried a tray with several vials of serum, each attached with a needle. “I have a research group studying ze effects of trauma-induced memory loss. We have studied ze brain closely in this matter, and have found a way to induce an artificial memory loss with ze serum in these vials.”

“So it’ll be like we suffered a traumatic incident and won’t remember,” Quistis said, curiously examining the containers. “What if the memories come back?”

“The serum is strong enough so zat they won’t, not on their own. Hypnosis might bring zem back, but I do not think zat will be a problem.” He picked up a vial and inspected it in his hands. “We administered enough serum to block out ze last few weeks. You might forget a bit of what you did before you came here, but it iz better than not forgetting enough.”

Irvine shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll take it. Where’s this time device thing?”

“In the basement,” Radovan said. “Let’s get you there and get you back home.”

~*~

The device was waiting for them when they all walked down there. Bianca glanced at a particular spot on the floor, where a couple weeks ago she had been bleeding after her battle with Nyvae. “Can you believe how far we’ve come since the fight down here?”

“It’s kind of where it really began,” Selphie said, glancing around and taking in the room. “I mean, we got here hours before that but it was because of that fight that we learned about you guys.” She put her arm around Bianca’s shoulders. “And now it’s where it’ll end, too.”

As they approached the device, the kids slowed their steps, letting their parents walk ahead. Selphie turned, her smile falling as Bianca hung back. Just in front of the machine, the others turned around as well. The kids stayed back, forming a loose semi-circle in front of the device. The air between them was quiet, with a hint of sadness.

Selphie put the feeling to words as she said, “I guess this is it, huh?”

“I can’t believe we’re going to forget about you guys,” Rinoa said, her eyes firmly fixed on Desmen. “After everything that’s happened.”

Zell looked over Kevan’s shoulder at his two daughters, his shoulders sagged. “This is good-bye, isn’t it?”

Kevan sighed softly, his smile a little tired and sad as he answered, “Sort of, yes.”

Suddenly, Lamis put her hands on her hips and frowned as she looked at the parents. “What the heck is this? This isn’t good-bye,” she said, glancing at Kevan. “We’re going to see each other again.”

“Seriously,” Seifer said, laughing at the morose atmosphere. “It sucks we’re gonna forget all this, but we’re gonna hear about it when we get back, right?”

“Oh, you mean ourselves from this time?” Quistis said in an attempt to clear up any confusion. She glanced at Lamis and smiled secretively. “Well, I think we might be bothered to ask and get the details.”

Her daughter rolled her eyes. “Yes, we’ll tell you. Who knows? Maybe our retelling of everything will trigger these memories Odine is about to suppress.”

Thoughtfully, Rinoa glanced up at Squall and smiled. “I kind of like that thought, that we’ll remember again someday.”

He nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Doesn’t seem so bad.”

Slightly amused at his parents’ exchange, Desmen chuckled as he gestured at them to get onto the device. “This is only farewell. We’re just a few years away.”

“Yeah!” Momo said, beaming as the first generation slowly got onto the device. “You guys have lots to do yet! Go have fun and make mistakes and be young.”

“And most importantly,” Taw said, grinning ear to ear, “remember to have a _lot_ of sex and whatever you do, don’t use protection at some point.”

This earned him a smack over the head from Yasu and a reproachful glare from Fujin. “Ow! Geez, it’s true though!”

“It doesn’t mean you have to point it out,” Yasu said with a mild scowl. “Keep your testosterone-pickled brain in check for once.”

Michi giggled, even though she knew better than to encourage Taw. “Sorry,” she said to Yasu when he looked over at her, “but he sort of does have a point.”

“Hey, don’t you go getting ideas,” Zell warned. “Just because you’re engaged doesn’t mean I’m ready to be a grandpa. I don’t care how old I am in this time.”

Seifer’s shoulder shook in suppressed laughter. “What’s wrong?” he said, his tone amused. “Not ready to be Gramps yet?”

“Shut the hell up!” Zell said, obviously horrified at the thought. “And when we’re grandparents, _I’m_ gonna be Grandpa. _You_ can be Gramps.”

His laughter dying immediately, Seifer glowered at Zell. “Like hell I – _ow_!” he yelled when Odine suddenly jabbed a needle in his arm. “What the fuck, Doc?”

“I am tired of your useless yapping. It iz time you got back.” He injected the serum into Seifer’s vein before pulling the needle out and tossing it on the tray his assistant carried. “These will take a few minutes to take effect, so get ready.”

Seifer rubbed the spot where Odine thrust the needle in his arm, muttering in indignation as Odine administered the serum to the rest of the group.

As Selphie and Irvine were finished being injected, they looked across the way to the twins, giving them a pair of smiles. “Be good guys!” Selphie said, pumping her fist into the air.

“Listen,” Irvine tipped his hat forward, his smile sly, “I don’t care what I’ve told you. I’m saying this now: just have fun and whatever you do, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, okay?”

Bianca giggled as Alin slapped his forehead. “Right,” he said, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Seifer glanced up at Kevan, smirking slightly as he said, “Take care of her.” He nodded at Michi. “Otherwise, Chicken-wuss here will piledrive your ass through a wall and I am not picking up the pieces.”

Kevan gave Seifer a droll look. “Thanks,” he said dryly, “Love you too, Dad.”

“The only one I’ll ever piledrive is _you_ ,” Zell said, jabbing his pointer finger at Seifer. His eyes darted to his daughters. “Michi, take care of Momo and be happy. Momo,” He grinned, “keep Almasy there in line, got it?”

Michi smiled as Momo gave Zell a mock salute. “Yes, sir!” She smirked as she glanced over at Seifer and said, “Meatshield, it’s been a trip. See ya later.”

“Yeah,” he answered drolly, “a real trip. I’m gonna have premature gray hairs thanks to you.”

“Always glad to help,” she fired back, laughing as Seifer flipped her off.

Quistis peered around Seifer’s shoulder, giving it a sound smack for making such a rude gesture to Momo before she gave Lamis one last smile and piece of advice. “Remember what I told you. No matter what, you will always have a family to turn to.”

“I remember,” Lamis said. “And I won’t forget it again. Thanks.”

Fujin pointed to Yasu. “Protect your little brother. Even if he’s a pain.”

“You don’t need to tell me twice.”

Taw, now knowing how true that was after the Research Center incident, affectionately punched his brother’s arm. “Yeah. He’s not too shabby at that.”

Raijin nodded approvingly. “Yeah. Watch each other’s backs. And whatever you do, don’t get caught doing stuff Fujin won’t like, ya know?”

Fujin kicked Raijin in the shin, sending the burly man down on one knee. “Oww! Damn Fujin, why you gotta make it hurt so much?”

Yasu winced, even as Taw began to laugh.

Finally, as Odine finished administering the serum, Rinoa took Squall’s hand, and together they faced their son. “Hey,” Rinoa began, “I know it’s not always going to be easy for you, but just know… just because I’m a sorceress and you’re my son, that’s not _all_ you are.” She looked up at Squall expectantly. “Right?”

Squall looked at her, then hesitantly over at Desmen. Knowing his father all too well, Desmen merely smiled at Squall and said, “Whatever, right?”

“Something like that.”

Odine clapped his hands together. “It iz time! Radovan, if you will fire up ze machine, we can program it and send zem back.”

“This is it,” Selphie said, leaning her head into Irvine’s shoulder for support as Radovan started up the device. “It’s over.”

The machine came to life, and a bright white ring lit up around the nine adults. Irvine leaned close to Selphie and said, “Nah. It’s just starting.”

Radovan punched in some numbers into the terminal at the base of the device. He hit one final button, and the gears in the machine began to move and shift as the white ring began to rotate. “It’s all set.”

Squall clutched his head suddenly. “I feel like I’m gonna pass out…”

“It’s ze serum,” Odine said. “It iz taking effect. When you awaken, you will remember nothing. It iz how it must be.”

The light-headedness Squall was feeling began to be felt by everyone else as the machine began to roar, the parts inside moving even faster as the ring spun.

The kids watched in silence, holding hands and leaning against each other for support as their parents began to sink to the floor, losing consciousness.

Laguna walked up to Desmen and put his hand on his shoulder. “See you later, guys,” he said to Squall and the others.

With a loud whirr, the whole device glowed and emitted a bright flash of light. The people inside the room were temporarily blinded. Then, the light faded and the machine went quiet. When everyone managed to open their eyes, Squall and his companions were gone.

~*~

When Squall woke up, the first thing he realized was that he was cold. The second thing was that he had no idea what had just happened.

Groaning, he got to his hands and knees. He lifted up his head and looked around. _Is this some kind of cave?_ he wondered as he stared at the rocky walls surrounding him. Goosebumps broke out on his exposed skin. The air was chilly, and the stone beneath his gloved hands was freezing to the touch.

As his vision adjusted to the darkness, he began to make out the unconscious form of the others. He also realized he was on a craggy stone step that led up to some kind of platform. Rinoa was on top of it, along with Zell and Seifer. Everyone else was strewn on the steps or on the floor at the bottom. It seemed like they had been forcefully dropped here.

A loud chiming sound went off. It took Squall a moment to realize it was his cell phone going off. He reached into his back pocket and, wincing at the unexpected soreness in his shoulder ( _I must have landed on it or something,_ he surmised), pulled out his phone and flipped it open. Suppressing a grunt of pain, he answered, “This is Commander Leonhart of-”

“ _Squall!_ ” Cid’s panicked voice had the Commander raising his eyebrow. “ _Thank goodness! We finally reached you. Where are you?_ ”

“I’m not sure,” Squall said, taking another look around. “Some kind of shallow cave.”

“ _What happened? All of you disappeared so suddenly. Where did you go?”_

That unsettled Squall deeply, because as he tried to remember, he realized that not only didn’t he know where they had gone, he didn’t even know what they had been doing before they disappeared. “Uh, sir, I can’t say. I don’t even know what you’re talking about. What were we doing?”

Cid paused, obviously as disturbed as Squall was at the revelation. “ _You don’t remember?_ ” he said in disbelief. “ _The man that attacked Seifer, the meeting with Ellone, the moment she lost her connection with you guys… you don’t remember any of it?”_

Squall shook his head. “No, sir. I really don’t.”

“ _Are you hurt at all? Did you hit your head?_ ”

Squall felt like a child being fussed over by his parent, but he bore it with a quiet sigh as he felt the back of his head. “No. My head feels fine. The others are unconscious, so I can’t speak for them.”

“ _Perhaps someone will remember. In the meantime, can you figure out where exactly you are?”_

“I’ll look outside.” Squall could see the cave entrance just up ahead. As he got to his feet and walked towards it, he began to see white specks in the air. Some of them were being blown inside the cave by the wind. He blinked in surprise when he realized that it was snow. “It’s snowing outside.”

Cid sighed in relief. “ _Trabia, then. I’ll contact that Garden and have them look for you. Stay near the entrance.”_

 _I know the damn drill,_ Squall thought irritably. “Yes, sir.”

Before hanging up, Cid said, after a hesitant pause, “ _And Squall… I’m glad you’re all right. You guys really had us worried there.”_

The headmaster hung up, leaving Squall alone again. The commander pocketed his phone, and he sighed as he looked outside. “How the hell did we wind up here?”

~*~

It took two hours for the Trabian SeeDs to find them. Luckily, the others had woken up in the meantime, rubbing various sore body parts and muttering about the cold.

However, there was a disturbing lack of chatter and conversation. Squall expected there to be some confused remarks about where they were or, more importantly, how and why they got there. Yet no one said a word about it. Squall surmised that he wasn’t the only one who was experiencing memory loss.

Even when they were picked up and brought to Trabia Garden, hardly a word was said. As the headmaster insisted that they stay the night to rest and to ride out the building storm, Squall found himself having a hard time concentrating on his words. His mind was reeling and still trying to process the lack of memories.

It wasn’t until after they were led up to the spare rooms, with the headmaster leaving on the promise that he’d contact Cid, that Selphie finally braved to ask, “What… happened? I’m super confused.”

“Nothing is coming to me,” Quistis said, rubbing her forehead. “The last thing I can remember is something about Sis coming up and then… nothing.”

Squall leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. “The headmaster said something about Seifer being attacked and Ellone losing her connection with us suddenly. I don’t recall any of it, though.”

“That’s really weird,” Zell said, panic rising in his voice. “Why did we forget what happened to us?”

“Maybe nothing did?” Selphie suggested hopefully.

“No,” Seifer said as he sat down in a nearby chair. He glanced at one of the beds in the room thoughtfully before saying, “something happened.”

“How are you so sure?” Irvine asked.

Seifer shook his head. “I’m not. But I’m getting a weird sense of déjà vu, like I’ve been in a room like this before.” He looked at all the beds crammed into one room, like makeshift military bunks. “Like we were all put in a room like this.”

“I think something did happen,” Rinoa said, her hands clasped behind her back as she looked up at the ceiling, like the tiles held the answers. “Maybe we’re better off not remembering. That’s the feeling I get, anyway.”

Silence dominated again as everyone thought over her words, trying to draw their own conclusions as they picked out beds to sleep in. “Well,” Quistis said after long minutes of quietness, “maybe it’ll come back to us after we get some rest.”

All she received in reply were a few unenthusiastic nods. Everyone felt exhausted, though no one could explain why. However, it did serve as possible evidence that they had gone through something.

Rinoa crawled in next to Squall, her eyes heavy with sleep as he put an arm around her. “At least we’re all okay, right?”

“Yeah. We’re all here. That’s something, at least.”

Satisfied with that, Rinoa drifted off to sleep in Squall’s arms. It wasn’t until she woke up the next morning that she realized that she had slept her first dreamless night in weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this is so late. I got caught up with real life stuff, and then remembering to update this just completely slipped my mind. I'm gonna throw up the two-part epilogue right away so you guys don't have to wait any longer for this to end. Apologies again!


	31. Epilogue 1: To the future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to cope with missing memories and the lingering sense of something lost, Squall and the others each prepare themselves for the path they all will inevitably embark on.

As Squall and the others discovered over the course of the following weeks, they hadn’t just lost some memories: they had lost something else, too. What that something was, they didn’t know, and it only increased their frustration. All they knew was that they were each left with a sense of emptiness and the feeling that they were missing something important.

In the process of searching for what they had lost, they each found the path that would lead to it instead. They just didn’t know it.

~*~

“You sure you gotta leave again, Seifer?” Raijin asked, his expression crestfallen as he stood with Fujin and Seifer at the Balamb train station. “It’d be great if you stayed, ya know?”

Seifer shouldered his duffel bag, acting nonchalant as he pulled out his ticket with his other hand. “I’m not staying. There’s no place for me here.”

“MEMORIES,” Fujin said.

“Something like that.” Seifer glanced at the train. “My future ain’t here anymore. It’s out there, and I’m gonna find it.”

“Maybe we could-”

With a swipe of his hand, Seifer stopped Raijin before he could finish. “No. This is something I need to do on my own. We can’t be a posse forever.”

Raijin’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “Then what are we gonna be?”

“That’s something you need to figure out on your own. I’m gonna find my own path. I’ll let you guys know how it goes.” Seifer waved over his shoulder as he strode towards the train, the conductor announcing the last call to board.

He stepped inside, tossing his bag up on the rack before taking a seat. He sighed, glancing out the window as the train began to shut its doors. Raijin was waving his arms as Fujin simply nodded: their farewell to their former leader as he left for destinations unknown.

 _Where_ am _I going to go?_ Seifer thought as the train left the platform, leaving the station behind as it rolled on towards the dark undersea tunnel.

A few rows behind him, he heard something plastic clatter onto the floor. Swiveling his head around to get a look, he saw a toy truck on the floor. A young boy quickly hopped off his seat and grabbed it, glancing up at Seifer as he did.

Seifer almost felt nauseous as the boy’s eyes were suddenly replaced with green eyes matching his own, and a name struggled to float to the surface.

_Ke-_

“Keep your toys off the floor!” the boy’s mother scolded.

Seifer’s attention was diverted, and in that split second, the sensation was gone, and the almost-name with it. _Damn,_ he thought, leaning forward in his seat. His eyes narrowed in frustration. _What was that?_

An older woman sitting in front of Seifer turned in her seat, her smile homely as she asked, “Where are you off to, young man? You look so serious.”

He still hadn’t figured that out, and he was about to tell her as much when he heard the boy from earlier laugh. At what, he didn’t know, but Seifer felt a twinge of that earlier sensation, and the nostalgia it brought reminded him that he had a lot of searching to do. For reasons beyond explanation, his gut told him there was one city he needed to start searching in. “Esthar,” he answered the older woman. “I’m going to Esthar.”

~*~

Quistis hadn’t felt this alone in a long time.

She sighed as she stared at the stack of paperwork on her desk. It needed to be done, but she just did not have the energy – or the will – to do it. Her mind was much too preoccupied with other things.

Defeated, she pushed the papers away for another day, when her mind was more settled.

“Quistis?”

She looked up when her name was called and was mildly surprised to find Edea standing in her doorway. “Matron!” She beckoned to her. “Come in. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

Smiling patiently, Edea walked inside, her steps graceful and sure. “All of you have been so distracted lately. I know we’ve gone over it before, but are you sure there is nothing I can do to help?”

 _No,_ Quistis thought miserably. “I feel as if I can’t do anything to help myself. I don’t even know _what’s_ wrong,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. “I just – I feel this overwhelming loneliness. We all feel as if we lost something, but what could we have lost?”

Edea shook her head, her long hair falling over her shoulders. “I cannot say. The lack of memories is disturbing, yet that hardly seems to be the worst part. Still, perhaps it is as Rinoa had said; maybe you are best off not knowing. You may have lost your memories for a reason.”

“I hate it,” Quistis admitted, leaning her head onto her arms that were folded on her desk. “I hate not knowing. I just wish I could make these feelings go away.”

The older woman reached over and gently clasped Quistis’ elbow, squeezing reassuringly. “We are here for you.”

“I know.” Quistis lifted her head and smiled. “All of you are my … family,” she said, the words feeling strange but familiar on her tongue. Despite their foreignness, they gave her an odd feeling of comfort that helped ease the tension in her. “My family. My makeshift, wonderful family, tied not by blood but by bonds.”

“There are many kinds of families. The best kinds are bound in deep bonds. Blood has little to do with it.”

“Yes. You’re right, Matron.” Quistis nodded. “I won’t forget that.”

~*~

“Are you really afraid of commitment?”

Irvine jerked his head up, interrupted in cleaning his gun by Selphie’s sudden question. He turned towards her and found his girlfriend sitting on his bed, looking at him expectantly. He waited for a follow-up question or explanation. When he got none, he hesitantly asked, “Why do you ask?”

“Because I need to know.” Selphie leaned back, letting her legs dangle in the air. “I mean, I know you care a whole, whole lot and we’re stupid in love and all, but is that enough? Is that all you want?”

The notorious flirt had no idea how to answer that. He claimed to know women well, and in some ways he did, but there was just no perfect answer for that. Not an honest one, anyway.

“A little bit,” he admitted, knowing he was treading on thin ice. “I’m a marksman; I like to know what I’m aiming at. Commitment is like shooting in the dark. It has a lot of factors and ‘what-ifs’.”

Fortunately for him, Selphie didn’t fly off the handle or get upset. Instead, she seemed to be seriously thinking over his answer.

Irvine set his gun down, knowing a long conversation was likely ahead. “Sefie,” he said, wanting to break the silence. “What’s this about?”

She sighed softly. “I know marriage and stuff is a ways off, but I don’t want to be shooting in the dark, either,” she said, borrowing his metaphor. “But I see us together, Irvy. I want to be and it makes me happy. I guess… I just want to know if you see it, too.”

He tilted his head to the side in consideration. There was more to this than she was letting on. “I can picture it, yeah,” he said, giving her his charming half-smile. “It’d be great if it came true, but it’ll be scary at some parts. You know how we butt heads sometimes.”

Selphie grinned, and Irvine felt some of the tension dissipate. “It’d be no fun if we got along all the time!” she said, hopping off the bed. “I want us to bicker like old people sometimes and be stubborn. ‘Cause then we get to make up.” She walked over to Irvine and put her arms around his neck. “Sorry if I sounded weird before, but this whole thing with not remembering what happened… it’s made me kind of loopy and serious.”

“Yeah. I haven’t been thinking right since then, either,” Irvine said, his forehead touching hers. “Sefie, I think you and I are gonna be together whether I’m scared boneless of commitment or not. It’s just gonna happen. That’s how I see it.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I hope you like me. Because we’re stuck together.”

“I should be offended that you said it like that,” Selphie said with a giggle, “but I’m too happy to care. You’re off the hook this time, Kinneas.”

It wasn’t the first time he got off easy, and he knew in his heart it certainly wasn’t going to be the last.

~*~

“Damn it!” Zell cursed, punching the engine of his currently dead-in-the-middle-of-the-road car.

He had been driving back from Balamb when his car decided to slow to a crawl and then die. To make matters worse, as he had opened the hood to give the engine a look-over, the skies opened up and it began to pour.

So not only was Zell stranded, he was soaked. It made for a very pissed off martial artist, who didn’t even care at this point that punching the engine would just worsen things. He just needed to punch _something._

It had been a feeling he’d been struggling with the past few weeks, ever since he and the others had returned from… wherever they had gone. As if not knowing what had happened wasn’t bad enough, now he had to deal with these powerful feelings of loneliness and isolation he’d been having. Quistis had mentioned having similar feelings, but it didn’t help Zell much.

He heaved out a sigh, leaning his forehead against the edge of the hood. He believed a part of the problem was that he _was_ lonely. Not physically or anything, but in terms of his heart. He had friends, but he didn’t have that special someone to turn to when the world didn’t make sense. He wondered if maybe that was part of Quistis’ problem, too, but he had no idea how to bring that up with to her.

_“Hey, I think you’re lonely ‘cause you’re single, like me. How lame are we, right?”_

Yeah, that wasn’t happening.

What Zell couldn’t fathom, though, was why this had sprung up so suddenly. Just what had happened that would make him feel like this?

“This just sucks,” he muttered, glaring at his engine. “You suck, too.”

“Sorry?”

Zell jerked his head up, nearly smacking it against the hood in the process as he turned around to see who was there. To his right, a pretty woman with curly blonde hair was standing next to him, holding an umbrella. To Zell’s surprise, she was wearing nothing but a cotton white shirt and overalls, her pant legs tucked into brown, no frills rain boots. “Uh…”

She glanced at his engine. “I was walking by and it looked like you were having trouble.”

“Oh!” Zell chuckled nervously, remembering what he had said. “I wasn’t talking to you. I didn’t even know you were there. Wow, uh, I mean…” He felt the urge to hit himself. _Get a grip, man!_ He swallowed and said, “Something’s up with my engine and now the damn car won’t start. Usually I’m okay with cars, but my head’s not all here. I don’t see anything obviously wrong, though.”

 “I’m not a car mechanic or anything,” the woman said, “but maybe I can look.” She handed him her umbrella. “If you don’t mind.”

Zell took it, holding over both their heads as she leaned over. He watched as her hands prodded and pulled at parts, her lips puckered in concentration as she tinkered with the engine. He had no idea what she had done, but after a few minutes, she pulled back, her hands covered in oil. “Give it a try.”

Completely befuddled, Zell only nodded dumbly before he got back into his car, handing the woman her umbrella before starting the engine. To his immense shock, it started up.

The woman smiled in triumph. “There. You might want to get it into a shop soon so they can give it a better look, but that should help for a bit.”

Zell was convinced this woman was a mechanics angel, sent down from heaven in a moment of pity. He gaped at her for a full half-minute, unable to stutter anything other than, “U – Uh, thanks.”

“Sure.” She shut the hood, holding the umbrella over her head.

It was then, seeing her standing in the rain with her boots that Zell snapped back to reality. “Hey, uh, want me to give you a lift?”

She nodded, immediately getting over to the passenger’s side door. “I was hoping you’d ask,” she admitted as she got in. “I’m headed to Balamb Garden. They have an opening for a handyman.”

“Really?” Zell said, shutting his door in tandem with hers. “I was going there myself.”

“You a student?”

“SeeD,” he said. However, his tone lacked its usual pride when he mentioned it. Lately he hadn’t been feeling too keen about the idea of being a SeeD, though like with many things lately, he had no idea why. Realizing he had spaced out, he quickly added, “Though I guess it’s kind of pathetic a SeeD can’t even fix a car.”

“From what I heard, that’s not what you’re trained to do.” The woman leaned back in her seat as Zell pulled the car onto the road. “I’m sure you could beat up a T-Rexaur faster than I could.”

He almost said, _You can beat up a T-Rexaur at all?_ but he refrained. “We’ve got some of those in the training center, if you wanna see one sometime. I can even beat one up for you,” he added, grinning cheekily.

The woman laughed, and the sound eased something inside of Zell, because he felt like he’d heard laughter just like it before. “What’s your name?” she asked, still smiling from the laughter.

“Oh yeah, I didn’t introduce myself.” Zell reached his hand over to her. “I’m Zell.”

The woman took his hand and shook it firmly. “I’m Wendy,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”

~*~

As Zell was making his way back to Garden, Rinoa was just waking up from her nap. She stretched out her arms, and winced in guilt when she accidentally hit Squall. “Sorry.”

He opened one eye, and he merely grunted in response before burrowing back into the pillow.

“Hey, Squall?”

“Mm?” He opened his eye again.

This was something Rinoa had been conflicted about for awhile now. The events a few weeks ago had only exacerbated it for reasons she couldn’t explain. “Look, I’m not pressuring you or anything, but I was just…”

Squall lifted up his head, concerned. “What?”

Rinoa wanted to squirm under his gaze. There really was no easy way of wording this. “Have you thought about the future? Like, what we’re gonna do? What we’re gonna be?”

Maybe it was because of their bond, but Squall knew right away what she meant. “Kids?”

She nodded, fearful to say anything, hoping that he would understand.

“Sort of,” he admitted. “Why?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I don’t plan on having any anytime soon. I’d like maybe one or two later. Much later,” she added for emphasis. “But, I just…” Her fingers curled into the blanket. “What if I can’t? No sorceress we know has had any of their own.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t.”

“But what if I shouldn’t?” Now, talking about it loud, Rinoa was beginning to realize how much this was weighing on her. She could almost feel tears forming. “Think about it, Squall. Being the child of a sorceress… doesn’t that sound horrible?”

Squall suddenly shifted over and pulled Rinoa close. “It’s only horrible if we let it be that way,” he said, his cheek pressed against her hair. “You being a sorceress and me being a knight aren’t going to define our child’s future. It isn’t going to define us as parents, either.”

“You think so?”

He nodded. “As long as we don’t let it, then yeah.” He paused, his arm tightening around her.

Rinoa could feel the anxiety coming off of him. When he was this unguarded, his emotions were easier to pick up on. “Squall?”

“I keep having this dream,” he suddenly admitted, his brow knitted. “About a boy who sort of looks like me. I miss him, and I don’t know why.”

Rinoa leaned back, trying to look at his face. “Do you think it’s from…?”

“Yeah. But I can’t remember anything else. Just him.” He closed his eyes, and it broke Rinoa’s heart to see how tired he looked. “I wish I could see him.”

She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. “You will,” she said softly. “I think we’ll both see him again.”

Squall suddenly looked down at her, slightly perplexed. “Wait. Have you…”

Rinoa just smiled and said, “I miss him, too.”


	32. Epilogue 2: Nine flowering seeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids struggle to make sense of what happened with Levan, and they decide to try and change his fate.

Over 26 years later, Balamb Garden’s cafeteria was being broken into. Fortunately, the culprits weren’t there to steal food, only the peace and isolation.

“Wow,” Momo said as she and her eight friends walked inside, “how long has it been since we’ve done this?”

“It’s been some time,” her sister answered. She was walking hand in hand with Kevan. “I think the last time was a few months ago. That was before things started getting a little crazy.”

“A little?” Lamis raised her brow at Michi as she picked out a table. “Did you forget what happened? Levan, failed Time Compression, younger versions of our parents showing up, crazy rescue missions… any of that ring a bell?”

Desmen patted Lamis on the shoulder before he walked by her while trying to suppress a chuckle. “That was just the beginning, too. They’re still refurbishing the conference room Momo trashed, last I heard.”

Taw plopped down in one of the seats. “Armstrong couldn’t have been real happy about that.”

Momo shot him a sidelong glance. “She didn’t care. She just wanted Desy out and Caraway arrested. She even told us before we went in to do _whatever it took._ I think wrecking upholstery counts.”

Bianca smiled at their exchange, sitting down next to Michi and her brother. “Seriously though. Can you believe it’s been two months already?”

Yasu shook his head. “Two months, and we barely have any answers.”

“That’s true,” Alin murmured, taking off his glasses and setting them aside. “We never did figure out where our parents went when their younger selves were here.”

Shortly after the young version of their parents went back to their time, the current versions suddenly popped back, crashing into everyone and nearly giving them heart attacks. Once they were situated and everyone’s heart rates returned to healthy levels, they were questioned as to where they had gone. None of them knew where they had been. They didn’t even remember _leaving._

“They still don’t remember a thing,” Kevan said, leaning his head on his hand. “I doubt they ever will.”

“What does Odine think happened?” Alin asked.

Desmen shrugged. “Something about the time stream or whatever. It’s possible they did get absorbed into the stream. They went _somewhere._ ”

Momo rocked back on her chair until it was only on two legs. Michi watched carefully as Momo balanced on those two legs. As Momo was constantly shifting back and forth to balance the chair, she said, “There’s something I still don’t get, though. Remember how Seifer was able to summon his gunblade? How did he do that?”

“Mom did it as well when she fought Nyvae,” Bianca said.

“So did Dad,” Desmen added.

“But how?” Momo rocked forward, the chair legs slamming onto the floor as she was jerked forward. “Shouldn’t their weapons have been in the time stream with our older parents?”

Desmen leaned his elbows on the table, his expression pensive. “It’s probably wrong, but I sort of have a theory.”

He had all eight sets of eyes on him, waiting expectantly for his explanation. “And?” Bianca pressed.

“It’s like this: everyone says time is like a river, right? A continuous stream with the past, present and future all connected?”

“It seems to work like that, yes,” Yasu said. “I’ve read about the theories of people who disagree, but personally I think that’s true, especially of what we know about Time Compression and that time device Levan was using.”

Desmen gestured to himself and then the others. “Well, aren’t people like that, too? I mean, we usually see ourselves as separate from who we were and who we will be, but we really aren’t.”

Michi tilted her head to the side. “Like we’re connected to our past and future selves?”

“Yeah! We’re always growing and changing, progressing from where we were. A river is a continuous thing, its parts upstream connected to what is downstream by the same water. Time’s like that, too. That’s why we can compress time and jump to different points, because it’s all just the same thing, essentially. It’s the same with people.”

“But how does that explain how our parents got their weapons?” Momo asked.

“How to explain this better…” Desmen rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of the right words. “We’re connected to who we were and will be, because we’re the same person. You are and always will be _you_. Time connects us, really. We’re like the water in time’s river, all connected to the same places. If we’re connected like that, then maybe it’s possible to call on things our past – or future selves – had.”

Lamis shook her head in bewilderment. “No one’s ever done that before.”

“Maybe it’s because our older parents were in the time stream that our younger parents were able to do that,” Alin suggested. “It might also explain why they were able to get bits of memories they hadn’t had yet.”

“So it’s almost like reverse déjà vu,” Lamis said. “Maybe being connected to all our ‘selves’ is why they were able to get the memories. I think, though, the weapon summoning was solely because our older parents were in the time stream.”

Desmen laughed, amazed at how seriously everyone was taking his theory. “It’s just an idea. Like I said, it’s probably not right.”

“But it’s the only decent one we’ve had so far,” Kevan pointed out. “And it sounds kind of cool.”

“Oh!” Momo piped up. “Maybe it _is_ why we have déjà vu, but it’s the opposite. Maybe we’re connecting to memories we haven’t had yet so that’s why they seem familiar!”

Yasu sighed as the debate began to grow. “Now you know how I feel,” he said to Desmen, “when you guys get excited over my philosophical ramblings.”

~*~

After nearly a half hour of discussion, the topic veered off to less philosophical and more practical realms.

“Hey, guys,” Taw said, his tone hesitant. It was enough to make everyone stop talking immediately.

“What’s up?” Kevan said, glancing over at the youngest one in the bunch.

Taw took a steadying breath, trying to relax himself. He was about to say something big; the others could sense it, and everyone tensed. “I decided something. I meant to tell you earlier, but I wanted to make sure I wanted to do it first.” He looked down at the table, unable to meet their gazes. “I decided that I’m not gonna be a SeeD.”

He was met with shocked silence. Even Yasu didn’t know what to say. His mouth kept opening and closing as possible words came and went from his mind in a continuous flow.

“Why?” Desmen finally managed to ask.

“I’m not gonna drop out,” Taw said, and immediately some of the tension ebbed away. “I’m just gonna graduate and get a job elsewhere.” He glanced out one of the windows and into the pitch black of night. “After what happened with Levan… I don’t know. Do I really want to be part of something that eventually causes that tragedy? I know it’s the White SeeDs who do it, and not us. But it still bothers me. And I can’t be a part of something that’s gonna make me question myself.”

“To be honest,” Bianca said, “lately, when I address myself as a SeeD… a lot of the pride I once felt is gone.”

“The title does lack a certain kind of luster lately,” Alin said, uneasy about that statement. “If you think about it, SeeD might have stopped Ultimecia, but they’re also the ones that caused her to do what she did to begin with. Is it really worth being proud about?”

Michi leaned forward, letting her elbows rest on the table as she put her chin on her hands. “I think our parents are beginning to wonder the same thing. They were… they were so horrified when we told them about Levan and what happened to him.”

Lamis winced at the memory, remembering how deeply distraught her mother was about it. “Mom was pretty upset about that.”

“Mom and Dad were, too,” Bianca said, clenching her hand. “I thought Mom was gonna cry.”

“They killed Ultimecia, so I can see why they’re feeling guilty,” Yasu said, “but they weren’t the ones who took her away. She was gone long before that. Levan even said so himself.”

Kevan rubbed his hand over his face, the conversation beginning to wear on him. “Ultimecia sealed her fate. I think a part of her knew she wasn’t going to make it out alive.”

“Just like Levan,” Desmen murmured, staring up at the ceiling and the muted darkness. Even two months later, thoughts of Levan still pained his heart. “I wonder what he was like, before he lost his parents.”

“He seemed very fond of them,” Michi said quietly, biting her bottom lip. “I imagine he was pretty happy. At least, he seemed angry enough. I don’t think someone would have been that angry if they hadn’t lost a lot of happiness.”

“Now he’s gone.” Taw shook his head in sadness. “It just ain’t right.”

“What Levan went through wasn’t right.” Desmen had come to terms with it, but the truth Levan had told them about in Trabia – and his final words – still haunted him. “I told him I would do what I can to change the fate of sorceresses. That’s why I’ve decided… I’m going to start a campaign. Or something.”

Yasu tilted his head to the side. “Like an awareness campaign?”

“Yeah, like that. And I’m thinking of maybe also forming a support group, for sorceress who have no one else to turn to. Since that’s not something I’d want to make real public, I don’t know how I’d go about starting it yet, but I want to try.”

His words were followed by a moment of thoughtful silence. It was broken by Lamis, whose gaze was cast downward as she spoke. “I have a confession to make, too. Mom and I were talking the other day. About all of this, you know. About Levan and Ulti – Sorceress Lydia. All of that. We decided to – I mean…” She closed her eyes, breathing evenly to calm her nerves. “We handed in our resignations this morning.”

Momo’s mouth dropped. “Seriously? You’re quitting?”

“Yes. Mom’s retiring, technically, but yeah, I’m quitting. Taw’s right.” Her gaze lifted to meet the others’. “I can’t be a part of an organization I don’t feel right about.”

“What are you gonna do?” Taw asked.

“I’m going to write my stories.” With a smile, she looked over at Desmen. “I also want to help you with your campaign. Spreading the truth about sorceresses. Maybe I can write for it.”

“Yeah!” Bianca pumped her fist into the air. “That’s what we should all do! Let’s try to change the future!”

“But what if us doing this just makes it all happen?” Yasu pointed out. “Like Levan said?”

“Then it was meant to happen,” Michi said, her usual smile turned into a serious frown. “But we shouldn’t do – or not do - things based on that alone, because we have no way of telling what will happen. We have to do what we feel is right.”

“Then let’s do it,” Kevan said. “I’ll put in my resignation, too. Maybe my music can help.”

Bianca suddenly laughed. “Oh man, are we all going to quit?”

“Maybe a few of us should stay, if we’re okay with it,” Alin said. “At the very least, someone has to keep an eye on the White SeeDs.”

Bianca raised her fist for her brother to bump. “You and me then, little bro.”

“I will stay as well,” Yasu said, giving the twins a smile. “Between the three of us-”

“Four,” Michi amended. “I’ll stay for now. Music doesn’t make money overnight, and I want to do what I can, too,” she said, squeezing Kevan’s hand.

“Oh, oh!” Momo hopped up and down in her seat excitedly. “I’m gonna build an airship! I got it cleared with Laguna and the Esthar authorities. So it could be, like, our base or something. I’m totally up for that!”

Michi’s eyes widened while Kevan grinned. “You are?” the former said in surprise. The thought of Momo having her own airship was a bit unsettling, even for her sister.

“It’ll be okay,” Kevan whispered into Michi’s ear before planting a kiss on her temple. “I don’t think Laguna will let her attach a cannon to it.”

“Re- _lax,_ it’s gonna be awesome. Repairing the Ragnarok gave me a lot of experience, and I think I’m ready to go ahead and draw up some blueprints. Now that I know what I’m gonna use it for, it’ll be easier.”

“Wow.” Desmen scratched the back of his head, taken aback by his friends’ support. “I… don’t know what to say.”

“How about we just say you’re welcome,” Momo said dryly, giving him a humorous smile. “This is a battle worth fighting, Desy. You’re not doing it alone.”

Lamis propped her elbow on the back of her chair, resting her head against her open palm as she took a good look at her friends. “We’ve all changed, haven’t we?”

Desmen shook his head. “No. We didn’t change.” He glanced towards the windows, and in his mind he could see the plains of Balamb before they led to the open sea. He could see the wildflowers in bloom, and somehow, they made him think of Levan. “We’re just growing. And I’m glad we are.” He turned towards his friends and smiled. “I’m not sure if we can change what’s going to happen to Levan, but I want to try. Maybe, somehow, he’ll know that we did try. And that’s enough for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! Thanks so much everyone for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
